By: Luna Theus / Staff Writer
Arizona State and Syracuse University joined FIU in efforts to fund an inclusive doctoral program titled Project INCLUDE (INclusive Consortium of Leaders in Urban Disabilities Education).
The program has raised $7.5 million to grant diverse students who want to pursue a doctorate degree in special education. The grant will cover tuition and cost of living.
“Public schools are becoming more and more diverse while teachers are not,” Director of INCLUDE and FIU Special Education Professor, Elizabeth Cramer said. “It is important to attract more teachers from diverse backgrounds who are knowledgeable in special education.”
INCLUDE will also focus on improving the educational outcomes for culturally and lingually diverse K-12 students, according to Cramer.
INCLUDE will be accepting 12 FIU, eight Syracuse, and six ASU students, for a total of 26, all of whom will either have a master’s in special education or a level of interest in the subject matter.
“Pursuing a degree in an education doctoral program will allow me to understand and address the gaps between the traditional preparation of urban special education mid-level administrators and the skills, knowledge, and dispositions needed for full implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004,” Kathrina Bridges, FIU student and INCLUDE applicant, said.
“This program will greatly influence our community and will benefit from the research because our population includes multiple-marginalized students with disabilities in the urban setting,” Luz Arevalo, FIU student and INCLUDE applicant said. “The findings in the research will be evidence-based, positive practices that will greatly impact the lives of many students and families in our community.”
An information session will take place on FIU’s MMC Green Library Nov. 16 at 10 a.m.
The program begins in Fall 2020.
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