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.*

Click here to view the full course syllabus.

Upcoming sections:
November 16, 2025 - December 6, 2025
January 18, 2026 - February 7, 2026
February 22, 2026 - March 14, 2026
March 15, 2026 - April 4, 2026

Course Fees (😌☕🥐 Coffeehouse Bargains: $40 OFF License Renewal now through 11/19/25! Prices automatically applied—NO CODE REQUIRED! 😌☕🥐):

License Renewal - $95 $55
Para credit - $95 $55
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.

Transfer Policy
If a Safe Schools Academy course registrant does not complete their course within the section dates listed on their Safe Schools Academy Order Confirmation, or encounters personal circumstances that prevent them from completing their course, they are entitled to one (1) free transfer to an equivalent-credit course section within one (1) year of their original course registration date. If the transferred course section is not completed, the participant must re-register to be enrolled. Safe Schools Academy registrants are limited to one (1) free course transfer per paid course.

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.