Scholar Participation
In addition to the curriculum described elsewhere on this website, scholar participation will include clinical education/fieldwork, professional development activities, engaging in a mentor-mentee relationship with project faculty, use of a self-assessment and professional development plan, creation of a final project portfolio, and adherence to of U.S. Department of Education reporting requirements. Faculty guidance and support will be provided as needed for these activities.
Link to handbook here.
Scholar participation in all project activities is also supported by a stipend, tuition and fees, health insurance, and travel funding for one professional conference.
Stipends, Tuition, Fees, Health Insurance
- Stipends: During each semester that you maintain full-time enrollment and remain in good status academically, you will receive a stipend in the amount of $10,000.
- Tuition and Fees: The grant will cover the cost of in-state tuition and allowable graduate fees.
- Health Insurance: Health insurance will be provided through the UNC Graduate Student Health Insurance Program (GSHIP).
Clinical Education/Fieldwork
All scholars will complete at least 8 to 12 weeks of clinical education/fieldwork in high-needs schools where they will work with students with disabilities with high intensity needs from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Professional Development Experiences
Scholars will meet once per semester with their mentor to create an individualized professional development plan (see SSA-PDP below). All students will participate in professional development activities tailored to their needs and interests. All scholars will attend one conference related to school-based practice or children with high needs where they may attend sessions, network with others, or co-present with faculty or other scholars.
Mentorship
Project faculty and staff will provide mentorship and ongoing support. Each scholar will be assigned one of the project faculty as their primary mentor, and those dyads will meet at least once per semester to ensure that each scholar is making adequate progress toward attaining the project competencies.
Scholar Products
The Project Scholar Portfolio Assignment
Purpose:
- to provide project scholars with documentation of and reflection on their key learning and professional development experiences that have resulted from participation in the project and provide project faculty a final means of assessing scholar learning and performance.
- to provide project faculty a final means of assessing scholar learning and performance.
Scholar Self-Assessment of Competencies and Professional Development Plan (SSA-PDP)
Scholars will meet with their mentors at the beginning of the program to rate knowledge, understanding and/or performance in the following domains, and create professional development/learning goals for themselves in 2-3 specific areas of interest:
- Foundational knowledge
- High-leverage and evidence-based practices
- Ethics and advocacy
U.S. Department of Education Reporting Requirements
Over the course of the project, scholars will complete several forms and surveys required by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs. This includes a Service Obligation Pre-Scholarship Agreement at the beginning of the program. This document outlines the agreement that the scholar will work for at least 2 years in a practice setting that supports children with high intensity needs, including but not limited to school-based practice, in exchange for the financial and educational benefits provided by the project.