School of Education NewsRelease

ARC GIVES $200,000 TO UNCG FOR
SPECIAL EDUCATION SCHOLARSHIPS

GREENSBORO, N.C. –Julie Bost didn't know special education was in her future.

She didn't, at least, until she had a hard time finding a job right after college with psychology and anthropology degrees.
Instead, she took a lateral entry position as a special education teacher working with children with significant learning or behavioral problems.

"Within two weeks I realized this is what I would like to make a career out of," said Bost, who is now a graduate student at The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. "There is a shortage of people working with special education students. It's unfortunate, but it motivates me into the field."

North Carolina is ranked eighth in the nation in the need for special education teachers, said Dr. Marilyn Friend, professor and chair of the Department of Specialized Education Services. And Guilford County has an equivalent level of need. That shortage has motivated ARC (the Association of Retarded Citizens) of Greensboro to make the path to the classroom easier for Bost and others like her.

ARC of Greensboro is giving $200,000 over four years to create scholarships and fellowship awards for students seeking special education licensure at UNCG. At least two new awards will be made each year and can be renewed. One will be based on merit alone, and one will be based on merit and need. Students who receive the awards must agree to work a year for Guilford County Schools for each year they received the award.

"There is a terrible deficit of special education licensed professionals," said Karla Ewald, executive director of ARC of Greensboro. "We are committed to the education of our children, and we're concerned about vacancies. Hopefully, these teachers will stay with us."

This year, three scholarships were awarded to Bost, Katharine Hartis of Greensboro, and Sabrina Dawkins of Hamlet.
Dawkins, a first-year student in the undergraduate Special Education Program, said the scholarship was greatly needed. "I am a single parent raising my 5-month-old son," she said. "This scholarship not only gives me the financial support I need, but also the confidence that my goals can be achieved."

Hartis, who has been involved in Girl Scouts and also has spent time working with children and families from Lifespan Circle School, will use her degree to teach children with special needs. She also hopes to one day open her own children's summer camp.

Friend said the generous gift from ARC of Greensboro will not only help the students who receive the awards but also will help draw people to the Special Education Program.

As the number one teacher education program in the state, UNCG seeks to train top-notch educators to inspire new knowledge and change the way people think.

The Special Education Program within the UNCG School of Education provides opportunities for students to simultaneously study learning disabilities (LD) and behavior/emotional disabilities (BED). Students learn about trends and issues in the field of special education, characteristics and needs of students with LD and BED, specialized teaching methods, strategies for collaboration with parents/families and colleagues, positive means for providing behavior supports, and technology applications.
 
Field experiences and student teaching take place at local public and private schools with students who have LD or BED. This is the first year an undergraduate major has been offered. Next year marks the 50th anniversary of ARC. During the last fiscal year, 6,300 people benefited from ARC's services including job referral and placement and assistance in finding a place to live.

"We feel this scholarship is a monumental accomplishment," Ewald said. "It's a first in the history of the organization."

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