Special Education

Your donations will make a difference for the Department of Special Education! We prepare students for careers as 

  • Special educators and administrators
  • Behavior analysts  
  • Deaf educators
  • American Sign Language /Deaf studies
  • Curriculum developers. 

We are proud of our students and the quality of our alumni and work to recruit students to help combat the shortage of teachers in over 70% of the school districts in Indiana.

Your donations help us support a variety of learning experiences for students beyond academics, including scholarships, involvement in student and community organizations, and research.  There are four separate funds available in our department!

You can direct your donation to support programs specific to Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism. Contributions to this fund help advance innovative, time-efficient, and cost-effective treatments that empower individuals with ASD to reach their full potential. Your gift supports initiatives such as those led by the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorder, along with other programs dedicated to research, training, and services in this field. To contribute, select Applied Behavior Analysis and Autism Programs from the links below.

We pride ourselves in providing unique learning opportunities for our students. Our programs utilize cutting edge technologies to equip our students with tools to be successful in the workforce. This lab and its success are sustained by your generous donations.  Our adaptive TEACH Lab allows our students to learn how to incorporate adaptive and assistive technologies into their teaching practices. To support the TEACH Lab, select that option from the list below. 

The Department of Special Education offers several scholarships for both undergraduate and graduate students. The Inclusive Excellence in Graduate Special Education Scholarship was made possible through the generosity of the Avis Foundation, Inc. The Inclusive Excellence Scholarship provides financial support to a new or current student in one of the master’s or doctoral degree programs in the Department of Special Education. If you wish for your support to specifically  support this scholarship, please choose the last option in the list below.

Any dollars given that are not designated into a specific area go to the general fund for the department. Those funds are used for initiatives such as:

  • Support student scholarships
  • Purchase instructional materials 
  • Support faculty research through special equipment purchases
  • Support faculty professional development. 

It is with the help of your generous donations that we can continue to deliver the highest quality special education programs to our students in one of the highest-ranked education programs in the state and beyond.


Please select from the menu below where you would like your gift to benefit our students.  



Share on social with #OneBallState
Donors by Location
Rank State Gifts
1 IN 9
2 AA 0
2 AE 0
Give Now
Early Bird Challenge
Event
Early Bird Challenge
Rise and shine! The first student, employee, parent, and graduate who give will earn $250 extra for the fund they supported.
Give Now
Race to Give Challenge
Event
Race to Give Challenge
The first 2 academic departments and the first 2 sports teams to receive a gift will each receive $500 in challenge funds.
Leaderboard
Morning Leaderboard Challenge
The three areas with the most donors by 10 a.m. will receive $3,000, $2,000, and $1,000 in challenge funds.
Rank Prize Units, Funds, & Programs Donors
1 $3,000 Theatre & Dance 27
2 $2,000 Indiana Academy 12
3 $1,000 Special Education 5
4 Proud Ball State Parents & Families 4
5 Educational Leadership 3
Event
Morning Giveaway Challenge
From 8 - 11 a.m., five donors will be selected at random and $1,000 will be given to the fund their most recent gift went to.
Starts in
Event
Ball State Employee Challenge
A random Ball State employee will earn $250 for the fund they supported from 10-11 a.m.
Starts in
Leaderboard
Brunch Leaderboard
The five areas that raise the most money from 10 a.m. - Noon will each receive $1,000 in challenge funds.
Department (129)
Starts in
Leaderboard
5pm Donor Leaderboard
The four units with the most donors by 5 p.m. will each receive $500.
Rank Prize Unit Donors
1 $500 Theatre & Dance 27
2 $500 Indiana Academy 12
3 $500 Special Education 5
4 $500 Proud Ball State Parents & Families 4
5 Educational Leadership 3
Give Now
Young Alumni Giving Challenge
Event
Young Alumni Giving Challenge
When ten young alumni give by Noon, YAC President Giang Petroviak, will donate $200 to the Young Alumni Council Student Leadership Scholarship fund.
Give Now
Selfie Challenge
Event
Selfie Challenge
Post a One Ball State Day selfie with #OneBallState and earn $250 for the fund of your choice! We'll choose one random winner at 1 p.m.!
Leaderboard
Donor Leaderboard
The five units with the most donors by midnight will each receive $1,000.
Rank Prize Unit Donors
1 $1,000 Theatre & Dance 27
2 $1,000 Indiana Academy 12
3 $1,000 Special Education 5
4 $1,000 Proud Ball State Parents & Families 4
5 $1,000 Educational Leadership 3
Give Now
Social Media Video Challenge
Event
Social Media Video Challenge
Post a One Ball State Day video on social media with #OneBallState. We'll select two random participants, and they'll get to designate $500 to the fund of their choice! Winners will be chosen at 9am and 3pm!
Give Now
Monthly Donor Challenge
Event
Monthly Donor Challenge
Help us get to 100 monthly donors by midnight! Two recurring donors will be randomly selected and earn $250 for the fund their gift was to.
Leaderboard
Academic Department Leaderboard
The three academic departments with the most gifts by midnight receive $5,000, $3,000 and $1,000 in challenge funds.
Rank Prize Department Gifts
1 $5,000 Theatre & Dance 50
2 $3,000 School of Music 11
3 $1,000 Special Education 9
4 Educational Leadership 4
5 Accounting 2
Leaderboard
College Donor Leaderboard
The college that has the most donors by midnight will receive $5,000 in challenge funds.
Rank Prize College Donors
1 $5,000 College of Fine Arts 31
2 College of Communication, Information, and Media 12
3 Teachers College 10
4 College of Sciences and Humanities 7
5 Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning 4
Give Now
Faculty and staff social media challenge!
Event
Faculty and staff social media challenge!
Share a photo of your OBSD postcard so everyone knows what you’re supporting on OBSD. Be sure to stamp your post with #OneBallState. Two random participants will get to donate $500 in challenge funds toward their favorite area. We'll choose a winner at 7pm!
Event
Power Hour
The area that receives the largest gift between 6 -7p.m. will be awarded an extra $1,000.
Starts in
Give Now
First Time Donor Challenge
Event
First Time Donor Challenge
The unit with the most first time alumni donors will receive $1,000.
Give Now
Paint the U.S. Cardinal Red
Event
Paint the U.S. Cardinal Red
Gifts from all 50 states will unlock $1,918 to support the Ball State Fund.
Leaderboard
College Gift Increase Leaderboard
The three colleges with the biggest percentage of increased gifts from OBSD 2024 will receive $3,000, $2,000 and $1000.
Rank Prize College % +/- Goal
1 $3,000 College of Fine Arts -93.49% 62
goal: 953
2 $2,000 Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning -97.44% 4
goal: 156
3 $1,000 College of Communication, Information, and Media -98.21% 15
goal: 840
4 Teachers College -98.34% 15
goal: 903
5 Honors College -98.67% 2
goal: 150
Give Now
OBSD Video Challenge
Event
OBSD Video Challenge
We’re randomly selecting two One Ball State Day videos posted on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram with #OneBallState. Two lucky winners will each get to donate $500 to the area of their choice! Be sure to tag @BSUFoundation and use #OneBallState. Winners will be chosen at 8 p.m.!
Leaderboard
Evening Donor Leaderboard
The five areas with the most donors between 8-10 p.m. will each receive $1,000 in challenge dollars.
Department (129)
Starts in
Give Now
Name That Goose Challenge
Event
Name That Goose Challenge
Honk honk! The two most creative goose names will each earn $500 for the fund of their choice! Get creative and post your goose name with #OneBallState and #HonkHonk on social media. Winners will be selected at Noon and 10:30 p.m.!
Give Now
Teachers College Matching Challenge
2
Match
Teachers College Matching Challenge
BSU Grad Tom Murphy will match the first $25,000 given to support the Teachers College.
$725 MATCHED
Leaderboard
Provost Marri College Leaderboard Challenge
The three colleges with the most donors will unlock an additional $250 for 1st place, $150 for 2nd place and $100 for 3rd place from Provost Anand Marri.
Rank Prize Department Donors
1 $250 College of Fine Arts 31
2 $150 College of Communication, Information, and Media 12
3 $100 Teachers College 10
4 College of Sciences and Humanities 7
5 Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning 4
Leaderboard
Teachers College Gift Leaderboard
The Teachers College department with the most improved number of gifts from OBSD 2024 will receive $250 for first place, $150 for second place, and $100 for third place from Dean Katrina Bulkley.
Rank Prize Department % +/- Goal
1 $250 Special Education -90.43% 9
goal: 94
2 $150 Educational Leadership -93.22% 4
goal: 59
3 $100 Early Childhood, Youth, and Family Studies -98.85% 1
goal: 87
4 Educational Psychology -100.00% 0
goal: 23
5 Educational Studies -100.00% 0
goal: 23
Give Now
LinkedIn Challenge
Event
LinkedIn Challenge
Share a One Ball State Day post on LinkedIn on April 1st or April 2nd for a chance to designate $500 to your favorite Ball State area! Must use #OneBallState and tag the Ball State Foundation!
Give Now
Graduates of the Last Decade Challenge
Event
Graduates of the Last Decade Challenge
In honor of 10 years of the Young Alumni Council, 250 gifts from graduates of the last decade to any University Fund unlocks a $250 donation from the Young Alumni council to the Student Leadership fund.
Give Now
Foundation Employee Giving Challenge
Event
Foundation Employee Giving Challenge
100% participation of Foundation employees unlocks $500 from Foundation and BSUAA President Jean Crosby towards the Ball State Fund.
Give Now
EPM Employee Challenge
Event
EPM Employee Challenge
VP for Enrollment Planning and Management Paula Luff will match dollars raised from EPM employees, up to $500, to the Jack Beyerl Student Emergency Aid Fund.
Give Now
International Alum Challenge
Event
International Alum Challenge
The first international alum to make a gift on One Ball State Day will earn $500 in challenge funds for the fund they supported.
Give Now
Closing Time Challenge
Event
Closing Time Challenge
The last student, employee, parent, and alumni donor will each earn $250 for the program they supported.
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Or you can contact us at oneballstateday@bsu.edu.

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Participating Groups
Alumni Association Athletics Chief Strategy Office Ball State Fund Ball State PBS Burris Laboratory School Christian Student Foundation Estopinal College of Architecture and Planning College of Communication, Information, and Media College of Fine Arts College of Health College of Sciences and Humanities Digital Corps Employee Emergency Fund Graduate School Honors College Immersive Learning Indiana Academy Indiana Public Radio Learning Center Miller College of Business Name a Goose Online Student Support Fund Rinker Center for Global Affairs Student Affairs Scholarships Teachers College Undergraduate Research & Creative Project Support University College University Libraries Women of Beneficence (Discovery)

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