The William R. Kenan Jr. Charitable Trust has awarded two faculty members in the FSU Anne Spencer Daves College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences (Anne's College) a $500,000 grant to train the next generation of professionals working with individuals with autism.
With the generous funding, Anne's College will offer competitive scholarships to provide full financial support to teachers pursuing the Autism Spectrum Disorder Graduate Certificate. The grant will support 75 in-service teachers over the next three years.
Veronica Fleury, associate professor in special education at Anne's College, says that access to the Autism Spectrum Disorder Graduate Certificate curriculum will greatly benefit teachers.
"It is currently estimated that 1 in 31 children are identified with autism," Fleury said. "This means all teachers, regardless of grade level or educational setting, will have students with autism in their classes. Educators who complete this program will be better equipped to support the varied needs of their learners, specifically the growing autistic student population."
The Kenan Charitable Trust has a long history of awarding grants in education. Addie McConomy, clinical assistant professor and program leader for special education at Anne's College, explains that this funding will serve the long-term goal of bolstering the teacher workforce.
"Any plan to strengthen the Florida teacher pipeline must involve concerted efforts to retain teachers who enter the field," said McConomy. "A key factor in retention lies in professional preparation. Funding from the Kenan Trust Foundation will allow us to provide teachers access to high-quality coursework in teacher education."
McConomy and Fleury's sustaining vision is that teachers who are prepared to teach will be prepared to stay. With the support of the Kenan Trust Foundation, they are making actionable steps toward this shared goal.
To be considered for the funding opportunity, prospective students should complete an online application found on the Autism Spectrum Disorder Graduate Certificate website. All teachers are eligible to apply; however, priority will be given to those who hold a temporary license, as they may benefit most from professional learning opportunities.
