This course satisfies the Safety, Support & Wellness requirement for the School Culture Advocate Certification. Learn more at www.safeschoolsacademy.org/csca.

Course Description: The concept of family has changed dramatically over the last few decades. The “traditional” model—that being one which includes a father, mother, and children—coexists with a growing number of single-parent families, cohabiting parents, families of divorced parents, and same-sex families. While it is generally presumed that families live in single-family homes, there are a number of families experiencing homelessness or undocumented status in the county. As educators are responsible for the well-being of all students in their classrooms, schools need to ensure that they are providing the necessary supports for students who do not fall under the definition of a “traditional family.”

This purpose of this course is to address the social, emotional, and academic barriers affecting students from nontraditional families. Participants will first analyze the privileges associated with growing up in a traditional family and understand the growing demographics of nontraditional families, then explore resources describing the experiences of students in nontraditional family situations, including adoption, foster care, divorce, homelessness, living with relatives, undocumented parents, and same-sex parents. At the conclusion of the course, participants will develop an action plan to be implemented in their classroom and school to advocate for students from nontraditional families.

This is a one-credit course.*

*Participants taking Drake graduate credit can enroll in a maximum of 12 graduate hours per academic semester.  If you take more than 12 credit hours, not all of your credits will be issued nor will your money be refunded. 

Click here to view the full course syllabus.

Upcoming sections:
January 12, 2025 - February 1, 2025
February 16, 2025 - March 8, 2025
March 16, 2025 - April 5, 2025
April 13, 2025 - May 3, 2025

Course Fees (✨🎅🎁 Happy Holidays!: $40 License Renewal Credit and $140 Grad Credit now through 1/5/25! Prices automatically applied—NO CODE REQUIRED! ✨🎅🎁):

License Renewal - $95 $40
Para credit - $95 $40
Graduate Credit - $175 $140
Audit - $35

If you have questions, check out our FAQ page! You can also email academy@iowasafeschools.org or call 515.381.0588 if you’d prefer to pay by check.

Cancellation/Refund Policy
Please review our Terms & Conditions for more information on our refund and transfer policy.

Minimum Registration Limit
Beginning 8/1/2021, the minimum registration limit for a class will be three (3) registrants. If your registered class does not meet the minimum registration limit one week prior to your course start date, our Registrar will contact you about future transfer options.

Transcripts
Please allow up to two weeks for transcripts to be processed following a course end date. Request your transcripts by going to http://www.safeschoolsacademy.org/transcripts.