Empowering Interveners: Earn Microcredentials and Achieve National Certification
Welcome
The Intervener Microcredentials and National Intervener Certification E-portfolio (NICE), offered through the Paraprofessional Research and Resource (PAR2A) Center at the University of Colorado Denver, provide a pathway for interveners working with students who are deaf-blind to gain recognition for their expertise. Through a series of microcredentials aligned with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Intervener Standards, you can demonstrate your skills, advance your career, and make a greater impact on the lives of the students you serve. You have the option of completing one microcredential at a time. Successful completion of all seven microcredentials leads to National Intervener Certification E-portfolio (NICE).
Getting to Know NICE!
The National Intervener Certification ePortfolio (NICE) was as strategic as a non-credit assessment and certification initiative by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) launched in 2016 as a collaborative effort between the PARᒾA Center at the University of Colorado Denver and the National Center on Deaf-Blindness (NCDB). Since its inception, NICE certified candidates across 20 states, with reviewers from 26 states and Canada. Initially funded entirely by NCDB, the financial support ended in June 2023, prompting NICE to explore new avenues for continuing to provide an alternative non-credit certification option affiliated with an institution of higher education (IHE) for interveners.
In 2025, the initiative received an overhaul with full administration of the program with the PAR2A Center. The non-traditional and innovative e-portfolio system provides a non-credit national certification through digital artifacts, virtual mentoring, online evaluations, feedback and analytics to ensure the reliability of the scoring process.
NICE has shifted from a single portfolio that covered all seven CEC Intervener Standards to seven separate microcredential portfolios, each aligned with an individual CEC standard. This shift is designed to offer greater flexibility, specificity, and recognition, allowing interveners to complete each microcredential at their own pace. By fulfilling the requirements for all seven microcredentials, they can still earn full certification.
Why Choose NICE?
- Flexible and Focused: The microcredential format allows you to focus on specific skill areas and complete them at your own pace.
- Professional Growth: The certification process encourages reflection on your practice, identifies areas for improvement, and enhances your career advancement opportunities.
- Rigorous Assessment: Portfolios are evaluated by expert reviewers with extensive experience in deaf-blindness and intervener training.
- Nationally Recognized: Intervener Microcredentials and NICE certification demonstrate your commitment to excellence and adherence to national standards for intervener practice.
Getting Started
If you are ready to keep going, learn more here!
