Eastern University’s College of Education & Behavioral Sciences has been awarded seven significant grants this year that will empower the college to further its mission of preparing educators to meet the evolving needs of the next generation.

“We are incredibly grateful to receive the necessary funding for these programs,” said Dean Susan Edgar-Smith. “The programs and initiatives these funds will support are crucial not only for the success of our students but for many of our community partners and the future of the education industry as a whole. We are excited to use these grants to attract and retain passionate individuals and to bolster our programs and offerings to meet the growing needs of the education industry.”

A brief description of the seven grants is below.

Pennsylvania Bureau of Special Education
2024-2026 Developing Future Special Educators Grant

Drs. Nicole McKeown, Mun Lee, Sarah Anne Eckert, and Erin Rappuhn received a grant from the Pennsylvania Bureau of Education awarding the College of Education $20,000 in funds over a two-year period to assist in attracting, preparing, and retaining individuals interested in a special education career path. The grant was also awarded to the college’s partners, Woodlynde School and Belmont Charter Schools. The team was previously awarded this grant for 2022-2024 and is excited to continue the initiative.

Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organization
Early Childhood Education Workforce Grants

Eastern has been awarded funding that is part of a larger state-wide initiative to support early childhood educators, as a result of its partnerships with two Early Childhood Education Professional Development Organizations, Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC ECE PDO) and Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education Early Childhood Education (PASSHE ECE PDO). The ECE PDO system has awarded Eastern University more than $315,000 to support the degree and certification progress of the state’s early childhood workforce. 

“We are honored and excited that our work at Eastern is being recognized through continued partnership and funding opportunities for our early learning community,” said Eastern professor Dr. Cathy Neimetz. “These grants are a testament to The College of Education & Behavioral Sciences’ commitment to addressing the changing needs of the early childhood workforce.”

Public Agenda
The Pennsylvania Education Equity Project Grant

Dr. Eckert, Eastern’s Chair of Graduate Programming, has secured funding from Public Agenda to support research focused on the implementation of Pennsylvania’s new Culturally Relevant and Sustaining Education (CRSE) competencies in teacher preparation. The $30,000 grant will cover stipends for the research team and data-analysis expertise. Dr. Eckert, an active proponent of Pennsylvania’s CRSE competencies, said that she is “excited at the opportunity to continue advancing culturally relevant and sustaining education practices throughout the commonwealth.”

U.S. Department of Education: Office of English Language Acquisition
Adelante and Éxito Grants

Eastern University recently received two National Professional Development (NPD) grants, Adelante and Exito, totaling $2,754,614. 

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of English Language Acquisition (OELA) funds the implementation of professional development activities intended to improve instruction for English Learners (ELs). These grants support communities, provide funding for teachers earning their English as a Second Language (ESL) certification, fund family literacy workshops, summer programs for emergent bilinguals preparing for Kindergarten, and more. Dr. Susan Pierson is the director of this program, and Dr. Beverly Bryde is the co-director.

• Éxito grant: A two-year grant totaling $1,452,745, in partnership with the Norristown Area School District.
• Adelante grant: A three-year grant totaling $1,191,869, in partnership with the Avon Grove School District, Oxford Area School District, and Kennett Consolidated School District.

Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency
Violence Intervention and Prevention Grant

Eastern University was awarded $949,389 to support the implementation of a program that places undergraduate and graduate mental health counseling and social work students throughout the Pottstown School District. The funding will extend over three years, starting in the fall of 2024. The purpose of the grant is to increase the number of students with access to quality trauma-informed support services and decrease the number of violent behaviors among students within the community and school. This project includes a partnership with The Lincoln Center for Family and Youth to aid in project implementation. Dr. Edgar-Smith is the Principal Investigator, and Dr. Naomi Morissette is the Co-Principal Investigator of this project. 

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