The Partnership Education Center (PEC), formerly called the Center for Teaching Excellence, opened its doors in 1999 as a small curriculum lab. In 2006, the Education Division received a Partnership grant from West Virginia’s Education and the Arts that allowed them to expand and move into their current location in room 1325. The official opening ceremony occurred on October 3, 2006, with then West Virginia First Lady Gayle Manchin cutting the ribbon for the PEC. Funds allowed for the purchase of numerous hands-on learning tools that are available for teacher candidates to utilize during their field experiences and student teaching. Grant monies are also utilized to maintain and add state-of-the-art materials, manipulatives and new technology. The PEC is designed to better prepare teaching candidates for the profession. Teacher candidates are required to utilize hands-on materials during their field experiences. For this reason, there are numerous resources at their disposal. Some include: