WKU News

Drs. Trudy Little and Ellen Casale recently received a $1,249,373 grant that will support students looking to become early childhood special educators and developmental interventionists over the next 5 years. Project ISPIRE is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (H325K260090). 

Project INSPIRE (Interdisciplinary Scholars Prepared in Research and Evidence-Based Practices) has an advanced Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education – Moderate to Severe Disabilities (IECE-MSD) certification pathway. The project will recruit, support, and mentor 24 undergraduate scholarswhile strengthening coursework, clinical experiences, and family-centered preparation in literacy, mathematics, early intervention, and services young infants and children with disabilities and their expectant parents. The program builds on the current IECE major. It will expand the content and field work to include children ages 0-5 with complex needs. INSPIRE scholars will be prepared simultaneously for their MSD certification while completing part of the required courses for a Master of Arts in Education as dually-enrolled students.

Goals of this project include increased numbers of fully certified personnel serving young children with disabilities and their families, improved scholar competency in evidence-based practices, expanded community partnerships, and strengthened workforce capacity in high-need and underserved communities throughout Kentucky.

For more information on WKU’s IECE program, visit https://www.wku.edu/ste/iece.php.