Diversity among students and families has never been greater, thus the need for educators who can effectively teach students from varied cultural backgrounds has grown exponentially. The demand is high in school districts for administrators who lead with an eye for multicultural sensitivity and a good understanding of the costs associated with insensitivity.

This 12-hour online graduate certificate program will provide the requisite awareness, knowledge and skill to effectively work with students and families from diverse cultural backgrounds and is ideal for teachers, counselors and administrators in P-12 school settings. The objectives of the certificate program are as follows:

• To develop an understanding of the field of multicultural education.
• To increase students’ awareness of personal assumptions, values, and biases and the effects these have on our actions and roles as professionals.
• To understand the benefits of multicultural sensitivity as well as the costs associated with insensitivity.
• To understand how culture shapes one’s worldview and the worldview of their culturally diverse students.
• To increase understanding of characteristics of multicultural organizations and to develop systemic strategies for changing monocultural organizations to promote equality and social justice.
• To enhance skills in effectively teaching students from diverse cultural backgrounds.
• To enhance students’ multicultural competencies for working with diverse individuals, groups, and organizations.

For full information about the certificate, go to Mizzou Online.