We are excited to share that Columbia College was awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Education's National Professional Development Program. This $2.6 million award will support the college's Collaborative Pathways to English Learner Achievement (CPELA) project, which aims to strengthen South Carolina’s ESOL teacher pipeline. The CPELA project will embed ESOL preparation into educator programs, expand pathways to certification, and provide ongoing professional development to at least 433 educators and pre-service candidates by 2031. Partners on this project include the South Carolina Department of Education and Kershaw County, Marlboro County, and Lexington County Two school districts.

BRI is proud to be the writer of this grant proposal to support teacher ESOL efficacy and the language, literacy, and academic outcomes for English Learners. Congratulations to all those involved with this successful proposal!