Project Central at UCF

Project Central at UCF Project CENTRAL is an innovative federally funded project from the U.S.

Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs and is designed to collaboratively prepare professionals to work with children with high-intensity needs. The project provides funding for qualified scholars to engage in courses leading to either a Master of Education in Exceptional Student Education or an Educational Specialist in School Psychology. Scholars who participate in the pr

oject earn a graduate certificate in Collaborative Intervention Specialist. The graduate certificate emphasizes interdisciplinary preparation of special education teachers and school psychologists to support students with high-intensity needs.

We are excited to welcome our new Project CENTRAL 2.0 scholars and wish a warm welcome back to our current Project CENTR...
08/24/2026

We are excited to welcome our new Project CENTRAL 2.0 scholars and wish a warm welcome back to our current Project CENTRAL and CENTRAL 2.0 scholars!

We hope that your Fall 2026 semester is off to a wonderful start and are excited to see what more you achieve!

Congratulations to our Summer 2026 Project CENTRAL graduates! We look forward to seeing what more you'll accomplish in y...
08/01/2026

Congratulations to our Summer 2026 Project CENTRAL graduates! We look forward to seeing what more you'll accomplish in your careers and are so proud of you!

Thank you for letting us be a part of the incredible work you do!

What are our scholars saying about Project CENTRAL? One of our Ed.S. scholars, Mariangely Soto-Machuca, shared her exper...
07/09/2026

What are our scholars saying about Project CENTRAL? One of our Ed.S. scholars, Mariangely Soto-Machuca, shared her experience with Project CENTRAL and her recommendations to future scholars:

"As a Project CENTRAL Scholar, I have been afforded countless opportunities to collaborate professionally with other individuals on projects related to supporting students with high-intensity needs. Utilizing the connections available to me through the Project, I have created a strong support network that I know will serve to expand my scope as a future school psychologist and collaborative intervention specialist.

Throughout my first year as a graduate student of the program and a Project CENTRAL Scholar, I have collaborated on projects with other Scholars, increased my connections within the education and psychology communities, as well as attended many educational advancement and professional development opportunities. I intend to utilize the knowledge gained from these various experiences to effectively enact these enhancements within my school psychology program.

I strongly encourage future and current scholars to maximize the many benefits associated with being a Project CENTRAL Scholar. These resources available to you are intended to help you thrive as a graduate student. Utilize them and become the best student that you can be."

Look forward to details about Mariangely's projects and accomplishments, which will be highlighted in the Scholar Highlight section of our Fall 2026 OSEP newsletter.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, Mariangely! We are so excited to see where your career journeys take you next.

Applications to join our Project CENTRAL 2.0 Fall 2026 cohort are now CLOSED! Thank you to everyone who applied! Stay tu...
07/02/2026

Applications to join our Project CENTRAL 2.0 Fall 2026 cohort are now CLOSED! Thank you to everyone who applied! Stay tuned for our Project CENTRAL Spring 2027 applications opening soon!

Want to learn more about our projects? Email us at [email protected] or message us here for more information. We'd love to hear from you!

See what our scholars are saying about Project CENTRAL! One of our ESE scholars, Fay Rovira, shared this about her exper...
06/25/2026

See what our scholars are saying about Project CENTRAL! One of our ESE scholars, Fay Rovira, shared this about her experience with us:

"As this academic year comes to a close, I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to be part of this cohort and to share the impact that Project Central has had on both my personal and professional journey.

First and foremost, this program has given me the confidence to pursue my passion. It has helped me discover a sense of purpose and begin building a path toward the legacy I hope to leave behind. While I may not know exactly what that legacy will look like yet, I know with certainty that I am moving in the right direction.

Having had time to reflect on this school year, I can clearly see the tremendous growth I have experienced. The knowledge, tools, strategies, mentorship, encouragement, and support provided through Project Central have challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone and embrace opportunities I may not have otherwise pursued.

This year, I was selected to participate in Seminole County Public Schools' first Teacher Leadership Academy cohort. Through this experience, teachers were encouraged to identify areas of need and lead meaningful change within their schools. As part of my capstone project, I chose to focus on transforming Professional Learning Communities from transactional to transformational. This work led to the implementation of the first ESE/ESOL PLC at my school, creating a collaborative space centered on improving outcomes for students.

In addition, I became actively involved with PTA and attended the Florida PTA Legislative Conference. There, I had the opportunity to learn about proposed legislation, engage with elected officials, and advocate for policies that impact children, families, and public education.

One of the most unexpected and humbling moments of this year was being nominated for and receiving the Power of Partnership Award from the Seminole County Council PTA for the 2025–2026 school year. This recognition was especially meaningful because it reflects something I deeply believe in: that schools, families, educators, and advocates must work together to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed.

I share these accomplishments not to highlight my achievements, but to acknowledge the role that Project Central has played in helping me get here. This program has provided me with the tools, resources, mentorship, and encouragement I needed to grow as a leader, educator, and advocate. It has empowered me to use my voice, build meaningful partnerships, and continue working toward positive change for students and families.

Thank you, thank you, thank you, for believing in me, investing in my growth, and creating a community where educators are encouraged to dream bigger, lead boldly, and advocate passionately. I am incredibly grateful to be part of this cohort and excited to continue this journey."

Thank you for sharing your thoughts with us, Fay! We are so proud of you and look forward to seeing what more you will accomplish in your career.

Want to get a fully funded master's degree* in ESE or School Psychology? Apply now to receive federal funding from Proje...
06/23/2026

Want to get a fully funded master's degree* in ESE or School Psychology?

Apply now to receive federal funding from Project CENTRAL 2.0 and join our next group of scholars! Applications close on July 1, 2026 for our Fall 2026 cohort.

Funding opportunities from our federally funded project are reserved for highly qualified applicants seeking an M. Ed. in Exceptional Student Education or Ed.S. in School Psychology and a Collaborative Intervention Specialist Graduate Certificate. The project features hybrid coursework that takes place during the evening to accommodate our working professionals and *up to 36 credit hours of tuition assistance.

For more information on how to apply or other inquiries, email us at [email protected], or visit our website: https://ccie.ucf.edu/teachered/project-central/

Share this post for someone interested in joining our next cohort!

REMINDER: We are ONE MONTH away from our Project CENTRAL 2.0 deadline for the Fall 2026 cohort! Funding opportunities fr...
06/01/2026

REMINDER: We are ONE MONTH away from our Project CENTRAL 2.0 deadline for the Fall 2026 cohort!

Funding opportunities from our federally funded project are reserved for highly qualified applicants seeking an M. Ed. in Exceptional Student Education or Ed.S. in School Psychology and a Collaborative Intervention Specialist Graduate Certificate. The project features hybrid coursework that takes place during the evening to accommodate our working professionals and up to 36 credit hours of tuition assistance.

Are you ready to join our next group of scholars? If so, please apply by July 1, 2026!
For more information on how to apply or other inquiries, check out our previous post, email us at [email protected], or visit our website: https://ccie.ucf.edu/teachered/project-central/

We are thrilled to welcome our new scholars for the Summer 2026 semester! Our scholars pursuing a master’s in Exceptiona...
05/14/2026

We are thrilled to welcome our new scholars for the Summer 2026 semester! Our scholars pursuing a master’s in Exceptional Student Education and Education Specialist degrees in School Psychology will continue to utilize evidence-based interventions and specialized services to help children with high-intensity needs. We look forward to seeing what you all accomplish!

Are you excited for the Summer 2026 semester? Comment below with one thing you’re looking forward to this Summer!

Congratulations to our graduating scholars for Spring 2026! We look forward to seeing what more you will accomplish as y...
05/07/2026

Congratulations to our graduating scholars for Spring 2026! We look forward to seeing what more you will accomplish as you take your next steps in your career journeys.

As we look back on the Spring 2026 semester, we would like to congratulate one of our Co-Principal Investigators, Dr. So...
05/01/2026

As we look back on the Spring 2026 semester, we would like to congratulate one of our Co-Principal Investigators, Dr. Soyoung Park, on being one of this year's recipients of UCF's Reach for the Stars Award!

The Reach for the Stars Award is an annual award offered to assistant professors at UCF who have achieved notable research or creative activities that have had national impact. Award recipients must also have received multiple letters of endorsement or support to be nominated for this award.

Congratulations, Dr. Park!

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