Western Kentucky University has been awarded a $1.1 million federal grant to prepare educators to teach special needs students.
The grant from the U.S. Department of Education is for WKU’s new PREP program, which stands for Preparing Rural Educators and Professionals.
The grant addresses the national, state and regional shortage of educators certified to serve students in K-12 with moderate or severe disabilities.
The funding will be used to cover tuition, field work and professional conferences for 30 students.
Graduates of the five-semester course will earn a master’s degree in education, with a specialty in moderate and severe disabilities or speech and language
The deadline to apply to the new PREP program is March 1. The first group of students will begin courses in the fall.