The Pennsylvania Department of Education awarded more than $1.4 million to 77 school entities to grow the Commonwealth’s next generation of special educators.

The awardees include Local Education Agencies and Institutions of Higher Education interested in developing or expanding experiential learning opportunities to engage secondary and postsecondary students in learning about and/or working with students with disabilities to inspire the next generation of special educators.

Through experiential learning opportunities, secondary/postsecondary students will learn about supporting students with disabilities through participation in structured activities, programs, and/or events with guidance and oversight from current educators. Ultimately, the goal is to recruit future special education professionals by engaging them in authentic, experiential learning opportunities in support of students with disabilities.

The awardees are:

Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21, $19,932

Cedar Crest College, $19,652

Colonial Intermediate Unit 20, $20,750

DeSales University, $14,000

East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, $20,000

Kutztown University of Pennsylvania, $19,949

Lehigh Carbon Community College, $20,000

Moravian University, $19,998