Students will participate in job shadowing to learn about careers. Internships will allow students to participate in classrooms while receiving high school credit. 

High school students who have expressed an interest in special education will be provided opportunities to interact, observe, and collaborate with special education staff members.  

Students will be encouraged and exposed to careers in the field of special education by providing new inclusive opportunities that will be experiential in nature and provide learning opportunities in the area of special education. 

Students will have the opportunity to shadow a special educator, establish a mentorship, and gain an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of the profession.

A curriculum specialist from ARIN IU 28 will spend a half day per month, or one day every other month, presenting on special education careers.

Students enrolled in the Peer to Peer program will attend presentations that will address disability awareness, CPR/First Aid, and jobs in the special education field. These opportunities will to support students developing job coaching and an awareness of the variety of options in the field.  

A panel discussion will be held on various careers in special education. Panelists will include educators currently working in special education including special education teachers, school psychologists, speech-language pathologists, and behavior specialists.

Geared toward the recruitment of special education personnel, students will have access to speakers who will provide training to them.

Opportunities for students interested in becoming future special educators will include campus tours (Community College of Philadelphia and Widener), postsecondary fee reimbursement, and scholarships.

Students from Central Cambria School District and Penn Cambria School District will connect with a professor from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown and current pre-service college students. Students will participate in various activities that provide them opportunities to pursue career options in the field of special education.

Secondary students will be given the opportunity to participate in a field trip to one or more institutes of higher education to meet staff who coordinate the special education coursework for educator preparatory programs.

College visits will allow students to visit, and possibly audit, a special education class and meet faculty/admission counselors.

A partnership with Penn State DuBois Campus will be established to provide first/second year education students an opportunity to explore and learn more about the field of special education.

A day will be devoted to targeted field experiences across schools/districts in IU 20. Replicating “take your child to work” day, ESU will match special education teachers with high school students to shadow them for a day. 

Students from The Neighborhood Academy will visit RMU for admissions discussions on educator preparation programs, eligibility requirements, and financial aid.

An informational video will be created to highlight career options, career pathways & career clusters, and eligibility requirements for the field of special education. This video will be shared with all school districts and charter schools in the local region.

This Experiential Learning Opportunity will initially capitalize on current work that is occurring and focus on the future development and sustainability of additional opportunities across the three collaboratives. 

A Celebration of 50 Years Video and The 21st Century Special Educator Expo is being planned.

Penn State Harrisburg will develop information for school counselors on the importance of special education teachers and encourage counselors to share the information with juniors and seniors.