Grow Your Own SLP or SLPA Program: Successful GYO Programs

The following states have been successful in establishing grow your own (GYO) programs for school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) and speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs):

Arizona

Type of Partnership: Informal partnership with the Arizona Department of Education, Northern Arizona University, and the Yuma School District
SLP Contact: Sandra Stewart, Coordinator of NAU’s Summer Track for SLPs
SLPA Contact: Jeff Meeks, Assistant Clinical Professor and SLPA Certificate Coordinator, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northern Arizona University (NAU)

More information about this program:

Kansas

Type of Partnership: Formal agreement between Fort Hays State University and Southwest Kansas Area Cooperative District; informal agreement to cover tuition costs for any public university in Kansas
SLP Contact: Jason Wright, Assistant Director, Southwest Kansas Area Cooperative District

Maryland

Type of Partnership: Partnership between the University of Maryland and Montgomery County Public Schools
SLP Contact: Kristin Slawson, Clinical Associate Professor and Director of Clinical Education in Speech-Language Pathology, University of Maryland, and Shelley A. McAuliffe, Supervisor of Speech and Language Services for Montgomery County Public Schools

Ohio

Type of Partnership: Partnership between the Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center and the University of Toledo
SLP Contact: Jennifer Crum, Director of Student Services, Mid-Ohio Educational Service Center

More information about this program: Mid-Ohio Education Service Center Grow-Your-Own Speech-Language Pathologist Development Program [PDF]

South Carolina

Type of Partnership: Collaborative partnership with the South Carolina Department of Education, local education agencies, and 15 colleges
SLP Contact: Joe Sutton, Director of the Centers for the Re-Education and Advancement of Teachers in Special Education and Related Services Personnel (CREATE)

More information about this program: Centers for the Re-Education and Advancement of Teachers in Special Education and Related Services Personnel (CREATE)

Texas

Type of Partnership: Partnership between Dallas Independent School District, The University of Texas at Dallas, and the Callier Center for Communication Disorders
SLP Contact: Jessica Carter – University of Texas

Type of Partnership: Partnership between Texas Woman’s University (TWU) and various school districts who wanted to sponsor a student
SLP Contact: Cynthia B. Gill, Professor and Department Chair, Department of Communication Sciences and Oral Health, Texas Woman’s University

More information about this program: