Opportunities for a Career in Teaching

Overview.  The Educators Without Borders (EWB) project aims to recruit, support, and mentor individuals from traditionally underrepresented groups entering the field of early intervention.  The project will build on the successes of an ongoing preservice program that prepares educators to work with culturally and linguistically diverse young children with low incidence disabilities.  The project goals are: a) to increase the numbers of licensed educators from diverse cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds, as well as individuals with disabilities; b) to develop the practitioner, leadership, and advocacy skills needed for effective and responsive service delivery in diverse community settings; c) to provide the support, training, and skills needed for diverse educators to respond to issues of bias and discrimination in the work place, and d) to create a mentorship network for participants during both the preservice and induction phase of preparation.

Rationale.  This project responds to issues of critical significance as we enter the 21^st century.  We know that the teaching pool is disproportionately white female and does not reflect the diversity of children and families in this society.  Yet, the letter and spirit of IDEA suggest the necessity of culturally and linguistically appropriate services.  Further, the prevailing recommended practice of family centered services in early intervention suggest that it is imperative that service providers be culturally competent in responding to the priorities and needs representing the multiple perspectives of families from diverse communities.  While the field has made some progress in infusing issues of cultural competence into personnel preparation programs, it is clear that there remains the challenge of crossing an additional border in effective early intervention-that is, recruiting and preparing a diverse pool of teachers who better reflect the population and who may more ably function in the natural environments of children and families.

Method.  Using an advisory group of diverse professionals, EWB will recruit candidates through GMU’s minority student affairs office, disability resource student services, community networks, and minority undergraduate programs.  EWB will provide the knowledge and skills necessary to work with culturally and linguistically diverse infants/toddlers and families in early intervention through participation in a nationally recognized integrated field-based personnel preparation program (UTEEM) with ongoing partnerships with schools and community EI programs working with diverse families.  EWB will also use a variety of ongoing support strategies to systematically address issues of culture, language, disability and identity as they impact professional practices and as they impact the micro-cultures of service delivery.  EWB will also identify and assist a network of leader/mentors to assist students during their induction period-both around issues of skill, as well as around the issues that confront them as educators from underrepresented groups.

Outcome.  EWB will result in two outcomes of critical national significance:  graduates from underrepresented groups will be fully prepared as EI professionals.  Graduates will be prepared to appropriately serve diverse learners and families in natural environments.
 
 

          ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Educators Without Borders (EWB) provides funds to support personnel from traditionally under-represented groups (defined as individuals from diverse cultural, racial, and linguistic groups; men; and persons with disabilities).   Individuals receiving funding are provided training to work with infants, toddlers, and children with low-incidence disabilities, including all children receiving early intervention services.

Students who are awarded an EWB Fellowship must agree to work with children with low-incidence disabilities, including children receiving early intervention services, for two (2) years for each year of funding.

TO BE CONSIDERED FOR FUNDING

TO ENSURE FULL CONSIDERATION

(Grant#: H325A010095)
 
 

PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY

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Last Name                                       First Name                           MI

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Street Address                                                                                   Apt. #

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City                                                      State                                        Zip Code

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Area Code/Phone (home)                                                 Area Code/Phone (work)

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Email Address

CERTIFICATION:

I meet the eligibility requirements under the funding definition and understand that if awarded this fellowship, I will be required to teach children with low incidence disabilities, or infants and toddlers receiving early intervention services, for 2 years for each year I am funded.  I understand I am required to participate in all EWB seminars and activities as a recipient of this funding.

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Signature                                                                     Date

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Social Security Number
 

The Educators Without Borders project is funded by a grant from the

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Programs (Grant#: H325A010095)
 

The following information clarifies the requirements you will need to fulfill should you receive a fellowship through EWB.

While enrolled in the UTEEM program, students funded through the EWB project are required to:

(1)maintain satisfactory progress toward completion of the UTEEM program.

(2)participate in all EWB seminars and activities.

Upon graduation from the UTEEM program, students who received funding through the EWB project are required to:

(1)fulfill the requirements of service obligation* (2 years for each year of funding) by serving children with low-incidence disabilities, or working in early intervention with infants, toddlers, and their families.

(2)work on a full-time basis (or if working part-time, extend the number of years for service obligation to equate to full-time employment obligation).

(3)complete service obligation requirement within 5 years (for 1 year of funding) or 7 years (for 2 years of funding).

(4)provide GMU and UTEEM faculty all requested information (including address,  employment setting and status) by September 15^th of each year until service obligation is fulfilled.

(5)provide pay-back of monetary repayment of scholarship assistance (tuition, stipend, travel funds, etc. plus interest) in lieu of completion of a service obligation.

The Educators Without Borders project is funded by a grant from the

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Programs

(Grant#: H325A010095)