Shapiro Administration Awards More Than $1.4 Million in Grants to Grow Pennsylvania’s Special Educator Workforce

Harrisburg, PA - The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) today awarded more than $1.4 million to 77 school entities to grow the Commonwealth’s next generation of special educators.

“Creating a future for our learners starts with having enough well-qualified, well-paid teachers in our classrooms, and this grant funding will bolster our efforts to generate a robust educator workforce in the Commonwealth,” said Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin. “By inspiring today’s students to become tomorrow’s teachers—and by investing in hands-on learning and career exploration opportunities—we are laying the foundation to support Pennsylvania’s students for decades to come.”

The awardees include Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) 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: