Manhattanville University is halfway through a nearly $1 million state-funded program that converts local teaching assistants into certified, master's-degree-holding teachers.

The four-year initiative, funded by a $997,439 grant from the New York State Office of Strategic Workforce Development (OSWD) and the State University of New York (SUNY), covers 100% of tuition and fees for participants.

It is launching its largest cohort yet this fall to address teacher shortages across Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties, according to a Patch summary of lohud.com reporting published Tuesday, Aug. 25.

The program is titled "Teaching Assistant to Teacher of Record: Investing in Our Local Workforce." It is a collaboration between Manhattanville's School of Education, Rockland Teachers' Center Institute and Putnam Northern Westchester BOCES, according to the university's press release.

Participants follow pathways leading to a Transitional B teaching certificate from the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Options include Early Childhood/Childhood and Special Education, Mathematics and Special Education, Science and Special Education, and Teaching English as a Second Language. Candidates can also earn a bilingual certification.

Manhattanville President Frank D. Sánchez said in the university's press release that the program "will provide a tremendous benefit for school districts throughout Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam Counties, ultimately helping them better serve K-12 students in the coming years."

Brian V. Carolan, dean of the Manhattanville School of Education, said the grant builds on the institution's history of forging partnerships to deliver teacher preparation programs. Based on the university's description of a four-year grant and lohud's report that the program is at its midpoint, the grant appears to have begun around July 2024.

The university already serves as a teacher pipeline for area districts.

Two new Rye City School District faculty members joining for the 2026-27 school year hold master's degrees from Manhattanville: Sophia Gelard, who will teach science at Rye Middle School, and Gabriel Frabasile, who will teach English at Rye High School, according to the Rye Record.