Safe Schools Academy
Educators can often be the greatest allies to students.
Iowa Safe Schools believes in taking a holistic approach to supporting Iowa’s LGBTQ students. That includes equipping educators with resources to help them provide safe and effective learning environments for their LGBTQ students. Through our education department, Iowa Safe Schools offers professional development opportunities, consulting services, a robust resource library, and BOEE-Certified license renewal credit, and graduate credit accredited by Drake University through Safe Schools Academy.
Especially considering new legislation affecting LGBTQ students, Iowa Safe Schools remains committed to working with students and administrative teams to find solutions for supporting all students in Iowa’s schools. We strive to help educators balance their legal responsibilities with their professional and ethical responsibility to protect students, and to ensure they have a secure and stable learning environment.
One of only a handful of ways Iowa’s educators can renew their teaching licenses, Safe Schools Academy was developed in 2014 by Iowa Safe Schools as a way to offer relevant, timely, and culturally responsive courses to teachers, administrators, school counselors, social workers, and other youth-serving professionals.
Safe Schools Academy has over 55 asynchronous, online courses to choose from, ranging from 1-3 credit hours each. Each course fits into one of three categories: Safety, Support and Wellness; Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging; and Civic and Social Engagement. All Safe Schools Academy courses are designed with students in mind and offer participants digestible and applicable knowledge and skills.
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I have gained so much by taking the courses you offer through Safe Schools. I cannot thank you all enough for what you do!
- Alicia, Hiawatha
CSCA Program
Supporting Educators & Changing School Climate
The Certified School Culture Advocate (CSCA) Program is a six-course, nine-credit program meant to empower educators to become change-makers in their schools. With the relationship between school climate and student achievement gaining clarity by the day, Iowa Safe Schools developed a program to help educators explore not only the theoretical framework of school climate analysis, but also the real-world impacts of climate on student success and well-being.
