Written by Kelly Stenka
Doane University has been awarded a $2,027,724 grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) within the U.S. Department of Education to support a new initiative designed to strengthen educator development through a partnership with BloomBoard and collaboration with school districts.
The project, titled PIVOT — Paraprofessional Intensive Vocational Onramp to Teaching (Award No. P116J251806), will run from Jan. 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2029, and is designed to create new pathways for paraprofessionals and educators to advance their professional credentials while continuing to serve in their school communities.
The $2,027,724 federal award represents 100 percent of the project’s total cost, with $0 and 0 percent funded by nongovernmental sources.
Through the grant, Doane will expand opportunities for educators to advance their professional credentials through BloomBoard’s talent development platform. BloomBoard connects school districts with higher education institutions that offer degree and certification programs designed to fit within educators’ professional responsibilities. The programs utilize an on-the-job instructional model that allows paraprofessionals and teachers to apply new learning directly in their classrooms.
“This grant allows us to meet educators where they are and support their professional growth in ways that directly benefit the students and communities they serve,” said Dr. Tim Frey, Ed.D. '04, project director and dean of the College of Education at Doane University. “Through the PIVOT project, we can expand access to meaningful credential and degree pathways while helping school districts develop and retain talented teachers.”
The initiative will support educators at multiple points in their professional journey by providing pathways to certification and leadership opportunities while they continue serving their students and communities. Additional details about participating district partners and program implementation will be announced as the initiative launches.
The contents of this press release were developed under a grant from the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE), U.S. Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.
More information about FIPSE is available at https://www.ed.gov/about/ed-offices/ope/fipse/overview.
