This paper describes the Model Support System for Paraprofessionals (MSSP), which is designed to diversify and expand the teaching force in one California county by supporting promising bilingual paraprofessionals enrolled in college and university programs leading to bilingual credentials. All participants are currently non-certified staff members who have as their chief responsibility students from diverse linguistic and ethnic backgrounds. After discussing the need to expand and diversify the teaching profession, this paper describes the MSSP, focusing on: critical supports needed for bilingual paraprofessionals; the need to encourage local talent; other existing paraeducator projects; the MSSP's unique goal of enhancing and strengthening literacy through the development of voice and the cultural/linguistic knowledge base participants already have; working partnerships involved in the MSSP; funding sources; completion rates; seminar series; core premises; core components; the MSSP's Saturday Seminars on literacy development; bilingual/bicultural literacy and the development of real voice; participants' resiliency, determination, and courage; extra support for participants; the working of the model; funding and administration; participant recruitment and selection; training sites; second year recruits; and maximizing resources. (Contains 18 references.) (SM)