Hawaiʻi Inclusive Early Childhood Professional Preparation Project (HI-Pro)
Project Dates
2023 – 2028
Funding Source
U.S. Department of Education (USDOE), Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP)
About
The Hawaiʻi Inclusive Early Childhood Professional Preparation Project (HI-Pro) aims to enhance community college (CC) programs that prepare professionals for the Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce to ensure they have knowledge and skills needed to inclusively serve the high need population of young children with disabilities and their families. Because Hawaiʻi is the most ethnically diverse state, the focus will be on promoting culturally-responsive and evidence-based practices (CREB practices; as opposed to simply evidence-based practices, or EBPs). Further, HI-PRO will support partners in Hawaiʻi working to connect information from early childhood health and education programs and existing statewide data to promote informed decision-making at all program levels, collectively addressing our challenges with particular attention to coordinated workforce development and ongoing professional development opportunities to positively impact children’s long-term developmental outcomes.
Principal Investigator
Holly Manaseri, PhD, is an Associate faculty member at the University of Hawaii’s Center on Disability Studies and serves as the interim director for the Center on Disability Studies. Dr. Manaseri teaches in the graduate Disability Studies program. She has over 30 years of experience working in k12 schools and higher education focused on teacher and school leader preparation for inclusive, accessible and caring school communities.
Contact
hmanaser@hawaii.edu