The main objectives of the program are:
1. To provide an academically rigorous undergraduate program to prepare a cohort of 20-25 bilingual paraprofessionals for obtaining a BGS degree concentrating on disciplinary inquiries that enable them to effectively teach English language learners at the elementary school level.
2. To increase the number of highly qualified educators prepared by UMass by removing several known barriers to professional licensure.
3. To increase the number and articulation of outreach efforts of various Colleges into underserved local communities in ways that build local capacity to solve social, cultural, economic, and political challenges, specifically through disciplinary inquires that are sensitive to the needs and cultures of the underserved populations.
4. To help paraprofessionals successfully further their educational and professional aspirations through successful higher education and help them build networks of university support that they can draw on for their own students' future advancement. |
