IUP to offer classes for Indiana County high schoolers interested in future education careers

High school students pursuing a career in education at the Indiana County Technology Center can earn up to 12 college credits through a new partnership with the Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

IUP officials announced Friday the launch of the “IUP Rising Educators Advancing through Dual Enrollment and Yearly College Credits” project, which will financially support high school students enrolled at the technology center’s “Rising Educators” program.

Funding comes from the state’s Dual Credit Innovation grant program. IUP was awarded $349,500.

IUP’s program will cover tuition and fees for the dual-enrolled students, as well as transportation to the IUP campus in Indiana, the cost of faculty to teach courses, textbooks and other materials and stipends for current IUP students participating in mentoring and recruitment events.

High school students in the program will take a combination of general education and humanities courses at IUP. Students can also go on campus tours and meet IUP education students and faculty.

“This grant is designed to directly address the issue of teacher shortages in the region by increasing the number of students going into teaching locally and reducing the amount of time it takes enrolled students to complete an education degree,” said Edel Reilly, dean of IUP’s College of Education and Human Services.

In the 2023-24 school year, 98 emergency permits were issued to Indiana County schools because of a shortage of teachers.

State funding will also support a new course at IUP that teaches effective classroom management, educator professionalism, behavior interventions and legal statutes. Both dual enrolled and IUP undergraduates will take the new course.

This program is the latest dual enrollment initiative from IUP.

In fall 2024, IUP reduced the per-credit cost for dual enrolled students to $100 per credit.

Last year, IUP received more than $800,000 in funding from the state for a project to support dual enrollment students interested in health-related careers.

Ten dual enrollment students from Homer Center, Indiana, Marion Center and West Shamokin school districts will take classes this summer, said IUP spokeswoman Michelle Fryling.

Last fall, a total of 125 students from 26 high schools were enrolled in dual enrollment classes at IUP. The college saw a record 153 dual enrollment students from 27 high schools this spring.