This week, we salute educators across America, including all those selflessly serving our students in the Western Pennsylvania region!

At the AIU-operated Special Education Schools, parents provided our staff with scrumptious food for lunch. We thank and appreciate what our educators bring to schools every single day!

We're so proud of the eagles from Sunrise School who competed this week at Plum in the outdoor Special Olympics competition! 

Students participated in multiple athletic disciplines, from jumping, throwing, bocce, track and soccer! There was truly something for everyone! Thanks to Plum and the Special Olympics committee for inviting us!

See the photo gallery below for more!

Thanks to all the students, staff and their loved ones who took part in the 2024 Sunrise Superhero 5K! This event is planned for months, and for the first time, students had a role in the design of the 5K t-shirt!

Check out some of our runners with the stylish t-shirt and more in the photo gallery below!

Recently, students from Mon Valley, Pathfinder and Sunrise Schools gathered at Pathfinder School for a special Wiffle Ball tournament!

With the help of students from Bethel Park High School, our athletes took part in a morning full of swings and running! Students cheered their friends from the sidelines with signage designed in their classrooms, and the event was followed by a delicious pizza party!

Check out some of the fun in the photo gallery below!

Thanks to Rep. Dan Miller for partnering with the AIU Special Education and Pupil Services Division this year as part of the 11th annual Disability Summit!

This year, AIU Pupil Services Director Brian Welles moderated an important panel on student transition, and the AIU took part in the transition fair that took place that same day.

See more photos of the two days of events in the photo gallery below:

Many things make Pathfinder School stand out among schools for special education learners -- its location, thriving greenhouse, and dedicated AIU teachers and staff for starters. One other feature is its 55,000-gallon swimming pool offering unique aquatic experiences and innovative physical therapy supports for students. Pathfinder School Principal Nicholas Fratto says the pool serves as a major part of educational programming at the school. "The health benefits of swimming are well-documented," he said, noting that for students with physical challenges, swimming provides a low-impact form of exercise and helps reinforce many physical therapy goals such as building muscle strength, flexibility, and coordination.

Pathfinder believes no student should feel discouraged or excluded from joining the fun inside the pool. To maximize accessibility, the pool features an adaptive lift to assist students entering and exiting the pool who have difficulty or cannot use the pool later. In addition, water walkers, adaptive chairs, and flotation devices such as life jackets and aqua joggers are used for every student to get in on the action.

Pathfinder Adapted Physical Education Teacher Chris Garofalo trains students to Red Cross Learn-to-Swim program standards, which focus on building skills one step at a time and at their own pace. Garofalo has taught at Pathfinder for 11 years. The students are regularly assessed on each of the skills and parents are provided with reports, so they can see what skills their child has mastered. Garofalo and other educators who work in pool instruction are certified lifeguards.

Both Garofalo and support teacher Sandy Sherman have several certifications for swimming instruction and pool operation, as well as lifeguarding.

In recent years, even students at our other AIU-operated special education schools have been invited to enjoy the benefits of the Pathfinder pool. To learn more about Pathfinder School, visit the school's webpage.

Dozens of Mon Valley students brought their family and friends to the second annual Mess Fest, and it was a huge success!

Mon Valley's hallways were packed with folks bidding on raffles, trying colorful and bubbly experiments, and seeing student artwork all around the hallways! It was a huge success. Thanks to Ms. Tarah for her hard work putting this together and to our dedicated Mon Valley staff who stayed in the evening to welcome our families!

See some of the action in the photo gallery below!

Recently, students at Pathfinder were treated to a mix of the classics as well as familiar themes to popular movies and TV shows in a special musical performance in the multi-purpose room!

Members of the Duquesne Brass Quintet also spoke to students about the differences between their instruments. It was an all-around great time!

See photos of the performance in the gallery below!

Students were transfixed when entering the Pathfinder gym last week. They found a huge, inflatable arch marking the beginning and end of the first-ever Pathfinder Sensory Glow Run! The event included glow-in-the-dark eyewear and necklaces, so students could see one another in the dark (and for fashion purposes, of course)! 

The run benefited a future sensory playground inside the school! Thanks to everyone for their participation and to the Pittsburgh marathon for their support! See photos from the Sensory Glow Run in the gallery below:

Thanks to the Point Park University Women's Basketball Team for coming and playing against our Eagles in a hard-fought match!

To see more photos from the Sunrise tournament match, view the gallery below!