Project SPARKLE homepage

School Psychology

Project SPARKLE

"School Psychologists with Accommodation and Remediation Knowledge to Promote Literacy Everywhere"

Receive up to $19,000 in financial support across three years

Developed through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs, Project SPARKLE is a cutting edge training program aimed at recruiting, training and funding students who want to work as school psychologists to make a positive impact on the people with whom they work. Specifically, Project SPARKLE aims to build literacy skills in children through evidence-based practices. Project SPARKLE will train Ed.S.-level school psychologists to support teachers in the implementation of research-based interventions to promote literacy development, as well as to help students with literacy-related disabilities learn across all content areas.

Project SPARKLE participants receive funding to help pay for their training in becoming highly skilled school psychologists. Participants will receive up to $19,000, depending on their year of entry to the program. Participants will receive monthly stipends and conference travel support. Click on the Financial Support page below for more details on funding support.

Full-time students pursuing an educational specialist degree in School Psychology at Michigan State University are eligible for the program. Participants will engage in specialized monthly training and seminars, specialized field practica, common coursework, and other shared professional development.

IN RETURN, students who receive funding through Project SPARKLE will be expected to work as school psychologists for double the amount of time they receive funding, or pay back the money they received. Participants will be asked to sign a document to indicate their willingness to do so prior to admission into the specialized training program.

Students admitted to this program are expected to have a serious commitment to graduate study and the development of their skills as a school psychologist. Course demands are rigorous, exceeding those of many Ed.S. programs. Involvement in this program requires a devotion to reflective thought and an openness to ongoing self-evaluation and improvement. Additional information can be found by clicking on the buttons at the left and by contacting Dr. Sara Bolt.. Additional contact information for Dr. Bolt can be found by clicking on "contact us."