Educational Leadership Program

In the 1920s, Perkins began training teachers of visually impaired and deafblind students from around the world. Through the 1980s, Perkins continued to offer educators training in multihandicapped education in cooperation with academic institutions such as Harvard University, Boston University and Boston College. In 1989, this initiative was given its current name, the Educational Leadership Program and became part of Perkins International. 

The 2009-10 ELP's traveled to Perkins' campus from Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Indonesia, Kenya, Turkey, and Uganda. Meet the ELP Class of 2010!

Today, the program provides advanced training and leadership development to promising international educators serving children who are blind, deafblind or visually impaired with additional disabilities.  Nearly 200 international educators from 70 countries have graduated from the program over the last two decades.

Program Description

A deafblind student and his teacher prepare vegetables for lunch together in class, Holy Cross Service Society, India

The Educational Leadership Program (ELP) is a central part of Perkins' global efforts to prepare local educators of children who are visually impaired with additional disabilities. ELP participants are carefully selected from communities and agencies which provide services to children with multiple disabilities. Priority is given to agencies with which Perkins has a partnership. Examples of participants include:

• Teachers from schools for children who are deafblind
• Outreach workers from organizations providing home consultations to families
• University faculty in the field of deafblind education

The Educational Leadership Program is designed to provide individualized attention and experience to professionals. Over the course of an academic year at Perkins, participants gain first-hand experience in the field of deafblind and multi-handicapped education. Participants:

• Live in a residential setting with children
• Complete classroom practicum assignments
• Observe special education programs throughout New England
• Develop their own projects for future work 

At the beginning of the program, participants select one or more areas of focus, such as deafblindness, early intervention, or school-aged education. They are offered a series of courses including:

A deafblind teenager and his teacher on their way to fetch water, Ghana

• Introduction to the education of students with visual impairment and multiple disabilities
• Assessment of children with visual impairment and additional disabilities
• Developing meaningful communication with learners
• Developing meaningful curriculum for children
• Brain development and implications for learning and behavior
• Working with families
• Educational implications of sensory/physical disability
• Administration and program management

ELP participants take part in programs on and off the campus and other elective courses, such as sign language, Braille, first-aid or behavior management. They have full access to Perkins' educational resources, including the Samuel P. Hayes Research Library, which is offers the largest and most comprehensive collection on the non-medical aspects of blindness and deafblindness. Many ELP participants also audit courses related to special education at local universities such as Boston College and University of Massachusetts-Boston.

In the first half of the year, ELP participants complete two rigorous classroom observations in their area of specialization.  During the second half of the year, participants are involved in two student teaching assignments. This hands-on classroom approach provides participants with experiences with children who have a variety of impairments. Participants learn methods to identify children's abilities and develop creative programs to support each child's learning. Participants become skilled at creating a cohesive classroom setting, where students' needs and talents vary considerably. 

The year culminates with the development of projects ELP participants can implement upon returning to their home communities. The projects are completed in coordination with Perkins International staff. Participants have the choice of writing project papers in their native language so that the materials are accessible to their communities and agencies.  

Expanding Perkins' Global Community

Perkins supports graduates from the Educational Leadership Program as they continue to expand services in their communities. 90 percent of ELP graduates are active in the education field.

A deafblind toddler and her teacher share a story, Costa Rica

• Nearly half of the graduates are in leadership roles and teach
• A third are in key management positions in programs for children
• Another ten percent are at universities or teach in training programs

Each of these connections has broadened Perkins' global community. Many have evolved into long standing partnerships, making a world of possibilities for children with visual impairments and additional disabilities. 

If you would like more information, please contact Cafer Barkus, Program Supervisor, at Cafer.Barkus@Perkins.org.