WKU received a $1.1 million grant to support its Special Education and Speech Language Pathology programs from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education.

A press release on Jan. 15 announced the grant which supports the recruitment, scholarships and graduation of 30 students through a five-semester program called Preparing Rural Educators and Professionals for Students with High-Intensity Needs, or Project PREP.

The goal of the program is to “remove barriers associated with working in rural communities,” according to the release. 

Christina Noel, an associate professor within WKU’s College of Education and Behavioral Studies, will lead the Project PREP initiative.

The program combines graduate coursework with field work, allowing students to graduate with a Masters of Education in moderate severe disabilities or a Master of Arts in speech language pathology once the program ends, according to the press release.

Students interested in participating in Project PREP’s first cohort for Fall 2020 can apply through WKU’s Graduate School before the March 1 deadline.

News reporter Abbey Nutter can be reached at 270-745-6011 and [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @abbeynutter.