Our Lady of the Lake University has received new federal funding to expand opportunities for students pursuing careers in special education, school psychology and social work while helping address workforce shortages in San Antonio and across Texas.
The funding includes $1.25 million over five years from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs for Project RISE—Research-Informed Interdisciplinary Scholar Preparation in Evidence-Based Practices.
Project RISE will provide need-based scholarships to approximately 54 students across three cohorts preparing to become special education teachers. Scholars may pursue Special Education Specialist EC–12 certification through undergraduate, accelerated Master of Arts in Teaching or Master of Education pathways. Participants also will receive clinical residency experience and preparation in evidence-based practices, co-teaching and inclusive instruction, with an emphasis on preparing graduates to serve high-need school districts.
OLLU will also participate in the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Other Related Disabilities (LEND) Program through a five-year, $177,302 subaward from the University of the Incarnate Word. The funding will support two long-term graduate trainees each year—one in School Psychology and one in Social Work—who will each receive a $10,000 annual stipend and complete at least 300 hours of interdisciplinary training. School Psychology faculty members Kristin O’Donnell, Ph.D., and Marlo Mitchell-Gonzales, Ph.D., will help mentor trainees and support specialized training, autism diagnostic clinics, and curriculum development.
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“These awards reflect the strength of OLLU’s academic programs and our faculty’s commitment to preparing graduates for professions where highly trained practitioners are urgently needed,” Provost Alan Silva, Ph.D. said. “They also give our students meaningful opportunities to learn across disciplines, gain substantial clinical experience and translate that training directly into service for children, families and communities.”