Prepare for a career in K-12 education with a free paraprofessional certification

What is a Paraprofessional?

Paraprofessionals are important members of a school’s support staff. They are credentialed education professionals who work alongside and under the direction of a certified teacher or school professional. They provide instructional, behavioral and other support to students, often working one-on-one with students.

Some paraprofessionals work with students in a special education classroom. Others may work with students in a general education classroom or rotate to support all the classes in a specific grade level.

Women and young children sit on the floor at Indy Reads to work on coloring books.
Kierra D.'s headshot

I think education is important. I’m Black; I’m a woman; and I come from the inner city. I don’t think you can do a lot of things in life if you don’t have education behind you. In five years, I definitely want to have my own childcare center. Early childhood education is like the foremost important education, because it kind of sets the foundation of where you can go.

— Kierra D., Paraprofessional Certification Graduate 

About our free online Paraprofessional Certification Course

This completely online, completely free, nine-week course covers Indiana’s education curriculum to prepare participants for working with students in a K-12 setting.  

  • Students complete five hours of coursework each week
    • 15 hours are Adult Basic Education Instruction
    • 20 hours are paraprofessional skills training
    • 10 hours are employability training 
Two adults at a table concentrate on papers in front of them.
A woman sits at her computer at home working on materials.

Paraprofessional Certification Course Requirements

  • To enroll in Indy Reads’ certification classes, students must have a High School diploma or High School Equivalency (HSE) diploma. If you do not have a diploma, join our High School Equivalency class!
  • Students must have access to an electronic device for the online coursework.
  • Students may need a paper notebook and pen or pencil for note-taking. 
  • If needed, laptops and mobile hotspots are available for students from Indy Reads’ Technology Loaner Library for the nine weeks of the course.

More about the Paraprofessional Certification Course 

  • Upon completion of the program, Indy Reads will pay the testing fee for the participant.
  • Indy Reads will also offer career counseling, resumé writing assistance, and development of soft skills like preparing for a job interview, email etiquette, conflict resolution, and problem-solving. 
A man holds up a children's book to a young child at Indy Reads.

Employer partners

Paraprofessional Certification graduates are guaranteed an interview with our employer partners: Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township and Indianapolis Public Schools.

We are Wayne logo
myIPS logo

Earn Your Paraprofessional Certification with Indy Reads!

For more information about Indy Reads’ Paraprofessional Certification classes, call (317) 384-1496 or apply online to a Paraprofessional Certification class.

Apply online to a Paraprofessional Certification class

We look forward to meeting you soon!

Skip to content