Alaska Native Education Project Success II
Project Description:
While there is a statewide shortage of trained personnel to serve the
educational needs of children with disabilities in Alaska, the need is
particularly poignant in rural and remote areas of the state. Project
Success, first funded in 2000, tested some innovative approaches to increase the effectiveness of distance education for paraprofessional educators, including annual institutes, regional study groups, and a system of local mentor support. Learning from these efforts informed modified strategies employed in Project Success II funded in 2004. Project Success II is a collaborative project that recruits rural Alaska residents into a scholarship program for an A.A.S. Degree in Early Childhood Education (from University of Alaska Southeast or College of Rural Community Development), or an A.A.S. Degree in Disability Services (from Prince William Sound Community College). Scholarship recipients are predominantly Alaska Native (70%). A partner in the project, the Association of Village Council Presidents, offers face-to-face encouragement and assistance for residents from 52 Alaskan Tribes. Project Success II augments distance delivered degree programs in early childhood education with 15 credits of undergraduate special education courses offered by the Center for Human Development (UCEDD) through the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA). Topics of courses include inclusion strategies, family and community issues, behavioral health, legal and ethical issues, and applied communication
strategies. These courses are institutionalized as permanent UAA College of Education special education courses listed in the university catalog. They have been approved by the Alaska Department of Early Education and Development to meet a special education requirement for teacher certification in the state.
Keyword(s):
Alaska Native, distance delivery, early childhood education, special needs
Core Function(s):
Training Trainees
Area of Emphasis
Education & Early Intervention
Target Audience:
Students/Trainees (long or intermediate trainees), Professionals and Para-Professionals, General Public
Unserved or Under-served Populations:
Racial or Ethnic Minorities, Disadvantaged Circumstances, Limited English, Geographic Areas, Rural/Remote, Geographic Area - Other, Other
Primary Target Audience Geographic Descriptor:
State
COVID-19 Related Data:
N/A
