Project BEST is a graduate degree program offered through the Department of Multilingual/Multicultural Education in the School of Teaching and Learning at the University of Florida.  Project BEST provides opportunities for qualified teachers to earn graduate degrees with an emphasis in ESOL or bilingual education.  Students admitted to the program receive a two-year scholarship (36 semester hours). During the fall and spring semesters, teachers take courses taught by UFfaculty at school sites in their districts. During the summers, students take courses in intensive six-week summer sessions on the UF campus. As part of their coursework, teachers earn the ESOL endorsement. The goal of this project is to develop a cadre of ESOL and bilingual specialists around the state who can assist school districts in providing high quality instruction for language minority students and provide new and practicing teachers with professional support. Project BEST actively recruits teachers who work effectively with language minority students and who want to specialize in ESOL or bilingual education.  Teachers who complete a graduate degree through Project BEST will be asked to serve as resources for both staff development and as mentors of new teachers in their school districts. Project BEST students must qualify for admission to the Graduate School at the University of Florida.  Requirements include a 3.0 GPA for all upper division, undergraduate coursework and a combined scoreof 1000 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE.