Normandale Community College’s SpedUp Program welcome 15 students to its Fall 2023 cohort.
The mission of SpedUp is to recruit and support BIPOC student as they pursue the first two years of a special education degree. SpedUP is set up as cohort model and provides a full academic scholarship (tuition and books) to students going through the program. The program also features professional development activities, proactive advising to ensure transfer into a bachelor’s degree in special education, and a connection to key campus resources.
This program has 23 SpedUp students who are pursuing the Special Education Transfer Pathways associate degree. Normandale is one of nine two-year colleges in the nation to have a Special Education program.
SpedUp recently named Kenny Chan the program coordinator this summer. Chan has over 15 years of experience in the field of Special Education. Chan was previously the Director of Special Education at Yinghua Academy in Minneapolis where he was previously a Special Education Coordinator and Teacher. He was also a Special Education Teacher at Emmet D. Williams Elementary School in Roseville, Minn.
“We are excited about the opportunity the SpedUp program provides to remove barriers for people of color who are passionate about going into special education,” said Chan. “This program has a great opportunity to play an important role in diversifying the next generation of special education teachers in Minnesota."
Chan is very familiar with Normandale’s Education program having graduated with an associate degree from Normandale in Education before getting his bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and Teaching at Minnesota State University, Mankato through Normandale’s on-campus partnership program. Chan also has a master’s degree in Special Education, Learning Disabilities and Emotional Behavior Disorder from Augsburg University and a Special Education Administrative Licensure from Hamline University.
For more information on the program you can go to normandale.edu/spedup-program.
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