Students honored: Aspiring Educators Pathway Project participants and Eagle Scout build communication board for district

The Scranton School Board opened its Feb. 2 meeting by recognizing student achievements and community projects. Staff introduced the Aspiring Educators Pathway Project (AEPP), a high‑school program that provides students with hands‑on experience in regular and special education classrooms and exposes them to careers such as teaching, counseling and school‑based therapy.

Students from Scranton High and West Scranton High described field trips to East Stroudsburg University and planned visits to Marywood University, saying the experiences helped confirm their interest in education careers. "This program allowed us to shadow and observe middle and elementary school classrooms, giving us a hands‑on feel for what we will be doing in the future," Paige Dougherty, a Scranton High senior, told the board.

The board also heard from Braden Von Ahnen, an Eagle Scout candidate from North Pocono High School, who described a project building a 'core board' communication device for nonverbal students at Monticello (Electric City Academy). Braden said the core board includes a chalkboard back, an iPad replica so teachers can follow along, and additional playground items purchased with about $500 raised for materials.

Why it matters: AEPP offers local students exposure to education careers at a time when districts face teacher shortages, and the Eagle Scout project supplies assistive technology that staff said will help nonverbal students participate at recess and in class.

What the board did: The board publicly recognized the students and the advisor teams; staff said the core boards will be rolled out for student use in spring after teachers familiarize students with the device.

The meeting then moved into work‑session items and business votes.