Partners in reaching potential (prep): preparing an interdisciplinary workforce for family engagement in deaf education

Butler University received a $181,538 Project Grant from the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services under CFDA 84.325 (Special Education - Personnel Development to Improve Services and Results for Children with Disabilities), effective October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. The award funds the Partners in Reaching Potential (PREP) initiative, which supports the preparation of an interdisciplinary workforce for family engagement in deaf education. This personnel development program aligns with the federal objective to address state-identified needs for highly qualified special education personnel by providing research-based training to educators and related services providers who work with children with disabilities.

The PREP initiative focuses on developing specialized competencies among deaf education professionals to enhance family engagement practices. As a component of the broader Personnel Development program, which has distributed $1.8 billion across 2,253 awards since 2001, this award contributes to the nation's capacity to train and certify personnel capable of delivering evidence-based services to students with disabilities in school settings and related environments.