SMETHPORT — Seneca Highlands Intermediate Unit IX has chosen Northern Pennsylvania Regional College as the two-year educational provider for the Paraprofessionals Pathway Program.
Beginning in January at the start of the spring 2024 term, the program is designed to assist current paraprofessionals in the IU9 service area with earning special education preparedness and eventually a special education bachelor’s degree at a four-year institution.
On Monday, from 3:30 to 4 p.m. and Wednesday, from 3 to 3:30 p.m., representatives from IU9 and NPRC will be available via virtual information session to discuss the opportunity and answer questions for interested individuals. Questions regarding the program or attending either information session can be directed to Brock Benson, executive director of Seneca Highlands IU9, by email at bbenson@iu9.org.
The program was made possible after IU9 was awarded a $1.5 million Paraeducator Preparation Pathways grant funding through a program from Gov. Josh Shapiro.
Benson said he was thrilled with the grant.
“Paraeducators play an important role in our schools, and they are deeply invested in the local communities in which they serve,” he said. “Providing them with a no-cost opportunity to pursue an associate degree will put them on the path to eventually earning a bachelor’s degree, along with Pre-K-12 Special Education certification. Given the current educator shortage facing our state, this is a creative way to increase the number of certified teachers in the IU9 service area of Cameron, Elk, McKean, and Potter counties.”
To accommodate the program, NPRC announced a new specialization in the early childhood education program in special education that will begin in the 2024-25 academic year. Students in the Paraprofessional’s Pathway Program will be eligible to earn 21 credits of the degree’s required 60 credits through a portfolio project.
Leigh Anne Kraemer-Naser, NPRC’s director of applied studies and instructor of early childhood education, said, “This grant allows NPRC to provide paraprofessionals in 14 school districts with a fully funded opportunity to earn the Associate of Applied Science in Early Childhood Education with our new specialization in Special Education and Paraprofessional Practice. We are launching six new courses focusing on special education theory and practice, educational psychology, and assessment for learning.”
