Biola University’s School of Education has received $750,000 in grants from The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to build a new bilingual integration teaching program and a new early childhood program. The new bilingual integration program will reduce the time it takes students to complete their degree, allowing more teachers to enter the workforce.

Dr. Luciano Cid, a professor of education at Biola, is confident that these funds will allow Biola to help make a significant impact in the public school system.

After building the program, Cid said the education department hopes to recruit a minimum of 10-20 students for the next 3 semesters. The group will be led by Cid for students pursuing bilingual teaching jobs and will meet as a group as they navigate the program. Over $400,000 in scholarship money will be granted to the aspiring bilingual teaching students in the program.

“The children in the public schools, nay children everywhere, need teachers that have been prepared in this fashion — perhaps, today more than ever,” said Cid. “And, if we successfully achieve this vision, Biola will continue to be known for what it does best, as a place of peace where people get training to excel in their respective fields to achieve greatness for reasons that extend far beyond themselves.”

The program will help students who complete their degrees in liberal studies and elementary education, along with the multiple subject credential and bilingual authorization in four years. Previously, this degree pathway took four and a half years for students to complete.

Through this grant, Biola is able to support students by paying for conferences, books and other materials who are aspiring bilingual K-12 teachers in California both academically and financially.

“...my hope is that if we do a great job with this grant, we might build a bridge of collaboration between the state and our institution,” said Cid.

Chair of Early Childhood Education at Biola’s School of Education, Dr. Christi Min, also received a $250,000 grant from the CTC. The funds will be split between student scholarships and developing a new credential program — the PK-3 Early Childhood Instruction Specialist Credential. This program has been submitted for approval by the CTC with a target launch date of January 2024 and is currently pending.

The grant will help elevate the student experience in the early childhood education program through the hiring of additional adjunct faculty and will also cover the cost of professional consulting needed for early childhood professors to develop and revise the PK-3 credential program.

Both of these grants will help Biola demonstrate how Christian institutions can meaningfully contribute to their communities with the public sector.

Learn more about Biola’s School of Education.

Written by Jenna Mindel, University Communications intern. for more information please email media.relations@biola.edu.