The grant will help 32 students become teachers of students with visual impairments or orientation and mobility specialists.
The Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Sensory Disabilities has received another round of funding from the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, allowing the center to continue filling a state shortage of specialists that work with students with visual impairments.
The $602,000 grant will continue the Sowell Center's Reach Across Texas Program, which provides tuition assistance to students in the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) and Orientation and Mobility (O&M) certification programs.
This year is the 18th year in a row that the center has received such funding, with the amounts increasing over time. The latest grant will provide tuition assistance for at least 32 students during the 2019-2020 academic year.
"We at Texas Tech University are very excited to have a longstanding partnership with the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired," said Nora Griffin-Shirley, the director of the Sowell Center and a professor who coordinates the center's O&M program. "Within the state of Texas, there is a great need for teachers of students with visual impairments and O&M specialists. The Reach Across Texas Program helps meet the underserved needs of children who are visually impaired and who need specialized educators."
For the Reach Across Texas application, visit the application information page.