Mentoring, Advanced Preparation Program Receives $250,000
WABI (Channel 5) reported the U.S. Department of Education has selected the University of Maine to receive $250,000 in funding for The Mentoring and Advanced Preparation for Maine’s Early Intervention Scholars (MAPME) program. U.S. Sens. Susan Collins and Angus King announced the award in a press release. The program will help Maine increase the number of highly qualified personnel prepared to meet the needs of young children and their families, particularly those with a high need, according to the release. “Early childhood education gives children across Maine the building blocks they need for a strong start in life. This important funding will help to ensure that our education professionals have the tools and training required to meet the needs of all students, particularly those who face unique educational challenges,” the senators said in a joint statement. The grant funding will allow UMaine to recruit and retain 54 scholars representing the diversity of Maine’s population, as well as implement a high-quality graduate study in early childhood special education by May 2020, according to WABI. The full release is online.