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:
Grantee | Grantee Type | Award |
Baldwin-Whitehall School District | School District | 13,700 |
Bethel Park School District | School District | 20,000 |
Blackhawk School District | School District | 20,000 |
BLaST Intermediate Unit 17 | Intermediate Unit | 20,000 |
Cameron County School District | School District | 7,650 |
Capital Area Intermediate Unit 15 | Intermediate Unit | 20,000 |
Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21 | Intermediate Unit | 19,932 |
Carlow University | College/University | 20,000 |
Cedar Crest College | College/University | 19,652 |
Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16 | Intermediate Unit | 19,999 |
Chambersburg Area School District | School District | 20,000 |
Chester County Intermediate Unit 24 | Intermediate Unit | 20,000 |
Chestnut Hill College | College/University | 20,000 |
Claysburg-Kimmel School District | School District | 20,000 |
Colonial Intermediate Unit 20 | Intermediate Unit | 20,750 |
Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania - Bloomsburg | College/University | 20,000 |
Delaware Valley School District | School District | 6,828 |
DeSales University | College/University | 14,000 |
East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania | College/University | 20,000 |
Eastern University | College/University | 19,978.94 |
Elizabethtown Area School District | School District | 16,200 |
Fleetwood Area School District | School District | 20,000 |
Freedom Area School District | School District | 20,000 |
General McLane School District | School District | 20,000 |
Governor Mifflin School District | School District | 20,000 |
Gywnedd Mercy University | College/University | 19,999.21 |
Hampton Township School District | School District | 20,000 |
Holy Family University | College/University | 20,000 |
Hopewell Area School District | School District | 9,000 |
Immaculata University | College/University | 20,000 |
Indiana University of Pennsylvania | College/University | 20,000 |
Intermediate Unit 1 | Intermediate Unit | 20,000 |
Juniata County School District | School District | 20,000 |
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania | College/University | 19,949 |
Laurel School District | School District | 18,345.28 |
Laurel Highlands School District | School District | 20,000 |
Lehigh Carbon Community College | Community College | 20,000 |
Lindley Academy Charter School | Charter School | 20,000 |
Midwestern Intermediate Unit IV | Intermediate Unit | 20,000 |
Moravian University | College/University | 19,998 |
Mount Pleasant Area School District | School District | 20,000 |
New Hope-Solebury School District | School District | 4,650 |
North Hills School District | School District | 20,000 |
Northern Pennsylvania Regional College | Community College | 20,000 |
Northern Tioga School District | School District | 19,700 |
Palmyra Area School District | School District | 19,152 |
Pennsylvania Western University | College/University | 19,521.20 |
Pittsburgh Public Schools | School District | 20,000 |
Plum Borough School District | School District | 18,937 |
Pocono Mountain School District | School District | 20,000 |
Point Park University | College/University | 20,000 |
Pottstown School District | School District | 17,200 |
Pottsville Area School District | School District | 20,000 |
Redbank Valley School District | School District | 17,200 |
River Valley School District | School District | 20,000 |
Riverside Beaver County School District | School District | 15,700 |
Riverview School District | School District | 17,000 |
Robert Morris University | College/University | 20,000 |
Saint Joseph's University | College/University | 20,000 |
Schuylkill Valley School District | School District | 20,000 |
Selinsgrove School District | School District | 19,951 |
Shippensburg University | College/University | 20,000 |
Slippery Rock School District | School District | 19,920 |
Slippery Rock University | College/University | 19,982.59 |
Southern Tioga School District | School District | 13,380 |
Sto-Rox School District | School District | 20,000 |
Susquehanna Township School District | School District | 19,400.98 |
Susquehanna University | College/University | 19,998 |
The Education Center at the Watson Institute | Approved Private School | 20,000 |
The Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg | College/University | 20,000 |
Union City Area School District | School District | 11,412 |
University of Pittsburgh School of Education | College/University | 19,985 |
Urban Pathways 6-12 Charter School | Charter School | 20,000 |
Warwick School District | School District | 14,660 |
Waynesboro Area School District | School District | 20,000 |
West Allegheny School District | School District | 20,000 |
Williams Valley School District | School District | 20,000 |
This program builds on the Department’s efforts to recruit and retain teachers in Pennsylvania, as PDE is working collaboratively with leaders in the education field to ensure there is a robust pipeline of educators in place to provide a high-quality education to learners of all ages across the Commonwealth.
In the 2024-25 budget, Governor Josh Shapiro secured historic investments in public education for the second year in a row, with a $1.1 billion increase for K-12 schools, teachers, and students, including a $100 million increase for special education that builds on the $50 million increase secured last year, and an additional $10 million for student teacher stipends. These investments will help the Shapiro Administration better serve both current and future students and educators and address the education workforce shortage—and make it easier for Pennsylvanians to become a teacher.
For more information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education, please visit the website.