Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program

Literacy Minnesota

Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program

Earn your Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education (formerly the Social Justice in Education) Certificate from Literacy Minnesota!

At Literacy Minnesota, the pursuit of educational equity is at the center of everything that we do. We strive to foster equitable learning environments for all by providing development opportunities to our volunteers and supporters. Through the Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program, you will learn to understand yourself within a cultural context and develop methods for nurturing a learning environment where all identities are affirmed and included.

 

The program will:

  • Help you gain awareness of the cultural experiences of learners and other community members, especially related to racial, ethnic, linguistic, religious, socioeconomic or gender differences.
  • Equip you with resources and tools to advocate for important issues that affect literacy and the communities served.
  • Provide you continuous learning opportunities to help you make positive, informed and equitable decisions in the community.
  • Attend five different Literacy Minnesota Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education (formerly Social Justice in Education) webinars and/or in-person workshops plus Core Module 2: Understanding Adult Learners. Workshops that qualify for the Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program will say, "This workshop meets the Literacy Minnesota Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program requirements." Please read the workshop description carefully.
  • After you have attended the six total qualifying Literacy Minnesota Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education webinars and/or in-person workshops, you will automatically be emailed a PDF certificate. Please allow up to 15 business days for processing and delivery. If you do not receive your certificate 15 business days after you have attended your sixth workshop, please contact Kelly at krynda@literacymn.org.

There is no fee for the Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program, but your tax-deductible donation will support our tutor training program and literacy learners across Minnesota!

  • How many certificate program workshops do I need to attend to earn the Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate?

Attend five different Literacy Minnesota Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education (formerly Social Justice in Education) webinars and/or in-person workshops plus Core Module 2: Understanding Adult Learners. Workshops that qualify for the Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program will say, "This workshop meets the Literacy Minnesota Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program requirements." Please read the workshop description carefully.

  • Do the workshops need to be taken in any particular order? 

No. All Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program workshops are stand-alone and may be taken in any order.  

  • Do I need to take the workshops within a certain amount of time to earn the certificate?

No. You may take the workshops at your own pace.

  • I have attended previous equity and cultural awareness workshops offered by Literacy Minnesota. Does my attendance at these workshops count toward the certificate? 

Equity and cultural awareness workshops prior to July 2020 do not count toward the certificate except for the Racial Equity 101 training. If you have attended Racial Equity 101 previously, please contact Kelly at krynda@literacymn.org to receive credit.

  • I am not interested in the certificate. May I still attend workshops?

Yes. CEUs are also offered after each workshop.

  • I am not a volunteer or involved with Literacy Minnesota. May I still attend workshops and earn the certificate?

Yes, the certificate program and workshops are open to everyone.

  • Will I receive credit for attending the same workshop twice?

No, you will only receive credit for each workshop once. You must attend six different Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program workshops to earn the certificate.

  • Will certificate program workshops be recorded?

Some are workshops are recorded if the presenter has agreed to it. You can find available recordings of Equity and Cultural Awareness trainings on the Video Trainings page. Core Module 2 is at the top of the page and others are toward the bottom of the pages under Special Topics

  • I am going to be late to a workshop or need to leave early. Will I still earn credit for attending the workshop? 

We understand that sometimes schedules change. We encourage participants to attend the entire workshop, but you may miss up to 15 minutes total and still receive credit for the workshop. If you need to miss more than 15 minutes of the workshop, please attend an alternate date or workshop. We will automatically make note of what time you arrive or leave and you do not need to notify us.

  • When are Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program workshops offered?

We try to offer at least one certificate program workshop per month, and we do our best to offer each topic twice per year. However, workshop topics may vary depending on presenter availability and funding. All workshops will be posted online at literacymn.org/volunteer-trainings.

  • How is my attendance at Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program workshops tracked?

We track attendance in our database. To make sure your attendance is tracked, please make sure to register in advance for each workshop. For in-person workshops, we ask that you sign in using the provided physical sign-in sheet. For webinar workshops, your participation is automatically logged when you sign into Zoom.

We also ask that you keep track of your participation in case of system errors. 

  • I am not sure if I have attended a qualifying certificate program workshop. How do I find out?

Please contact Kelly at krynda@literacymn.org to receive a list of qualifying workshops you have attended. We also ask that you keep track of your participation in case of system errors.

Please note that the Equity and Cultural Awareness in Education Certificate Program launched in July 2020. Any workshops you attended prior to July 2020 do not count toward the certificate except for the Racial Equity 101 workshop. If you attended the Racial Equity 101 training previously, please contact Kelly at krynda@literacymn.org to receive credit for your participation. 

  • I have other questions. Who can I contact? 

Please contact Kelly at krynda@literacymn.org.