The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced the availability of $1.5 million in grants aimed at strengthening the development of future special educators across the commonwealth.
The initiative, called the 2024-2026 Special Educators of the Future grant, will support local education agencies (LEAs) and institutions of higher education (IHEs), including school districts, private schools, charter schools, and career and technical education centers. It is targeted. Grant recipients will be tasked with designing and implementing experiential learning opportunities for secondary and postsecondary students with a focus on educating them about career paths and job prospects in special education.
These learning opportunities include structured activities, programs, and events supervised by practicing educators designed to familiarize students with supports for individuals with disabilities. The overarching goal is to recruit motivated special education professionals by providing them with authentic, hands-on experience serving students with disabilities.
Each grant is worth up to $20,000 and funds can be accessed through June 30, 2026. Interested her LEAs and IHEs are encouraged to apply through the Attract-Prepare-Retain (APR) repository by June 10, 2024. Additionally, a webinar is scheduled for April 29, 2024 from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm, and the recording will be available on her APR repository.
Pennsylvania is facing a significant educator shortage, with the number of people earning teaching certifications plummeting from about 20,000 a year a decade ago to about 6,000 in 2021. The state government under Shapiro is actively combating this shortage to ensure an adequate supply of qualified teachers. Initiatives like Gov. Josh Shapiro's recently launched PA Student Teacher Assistance Program, which provides up to $15,000 in financial aid to eligible student teachers through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA).
These efforts are consistent with PDE's broader strategy to attract and retain Pennsylvania educators, fostering a strong pipeline of education professionals to deliver quality education across the commonwealth. I am.
For more information about the Pennsylvania Department of Education, we encourage you to visit the department's website or visit PDE on various social media platforms.