Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Specialist

Location: Online, Self-paced

Course Description
The deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd as well as countless other Black Americans have tragically shown the racial divisions that persist in the U.S. The systemic and institutional racism underlying violence toward Black people and relegating them to generations of poverty permeates every facet of American society, including the educational system. Educators have long believed education is the path toward breaking the cycle of racism. Although progress has been made in many school districts, there is still much work to be done. All educators have an obligation to end racism, bias and create systemic change. 

School counselors have an ethical obligation to serve as advocates, leaders, collaborators and consultants who create systemic change by providing equitable educational access and success by connecting their school counseling programs to the district’s mission and improvement plans. Through this work, school counselors have a unique opportunity to be an important part of the solution for change. View the Specialist syllabus. 

Learning Objectives
After completing this course, you should be able to: 

Module 1: Self-reflection and personal bias

• Identify and acknowledge personal limitations and biases, and articulate how they may affect your work as a school counselor 
• Identify those around you who affect your personal bias
• Complete a self-reflection and personal bias assessment 

Module 2: The role of the school counselor

• Identify the role of the school counselor in implementing systemic change through the framework of the ASCA National Model
• Contemplate the role of the school counselor as it exists within your school and/or district
• Demonstrate your belief that all students have the ability to learn by advocating for an education system that provides optimal learning environments for all students
• Collaborate with administrators, teachers and other staff in the school and district to create systemic change
• Explain the need for multicultural education in K–12 schools 

Module 3: Systemic change through the ASCA National Model

• Act as a systems change agent to create an environment promoting and supporting student success
• Use data to identify how school, district and state educational policies, procedures and practices support and/or impede student success
• Use data to demonstrate a need for systemic change in areas such as course enrollment patterns; equity and access; and achievement, opportunity and/or information gaps
• Develop and implement a plan to address personal and/or institutional resistance to change that better supports student success
• Discuss ways systemic racism manifests in schools
• Evaluate and assess the current systems in your school
• Promote equity and access for all students 
• Identify the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to address systemic barriers and mitigate racism in schools.

Registration Fee
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Specialist training is free to all and allows you to earn 5 CEUs/50 Contact Hours, all from the comfort of your own home or office. Graduate credit is available for an additional fee.