NEXT START DATE FOR 401 - fall 2024 (Start Date Contingent on Enrollment)
DOCUMENTS FOR REVIEW / ACCEPTANCE DEADLINE: July 1, 2024
WHO IS ELIGIBLE: The Accelerated Certificate Program is an Advanced SECD Program for those professionals who have already been:
- TEACHING or have TAUGHT an evidence based Social Emotional Learning / Character Development program for 5+ years
- Teaching SECD program consistently with intention and directly to students of any age
- Teaching SECD program for 5+ years
- Providing SECD staff development workshops/trainings consistently to staff or adults for 5+ years?
If you have been counseling students, teaching mindfulness or yoga to students, OR if you do not have 5+ years teaching SECD intentionally, please register for our GENERAL TRACK Program. Our General Track will help you integrate SECD into your existing mindfulness, yoga and/or counseling work to enhance what you are already doing.
WHAT IS THE ACCELERATED CERTIFICATE PROGRAM: Accelerated (Advanced SECD) Track Program Overview
The Accelerated (Advanced) Certificate Program focuses on SECD instruction and is only for those participants who have been TEACHING Social-Emotional and Character Development (SECD) program(s) successfully in their classroom, counseling groups, or after-school programs successfully for 5+ years in a consistent and intentional approach and can document this experience. The Accelerated Program also focuses on SECD instruction that is provided at staff development workshops/trainings.
The Accelerated Program is NOT a fast track to completion. It is an advanced SECD program for those who already have been successfully teaching SECD. This program will
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acknowledge the SECD teaching you have been doing with the focus on direct instruction for 5 or more years and builds on it.
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acknowledge the SECD professional development workshops you have been doing consistently with staff and/or parents for 5 or more years (must be consistent delivery/teaching) and builds on it.
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teach you another approach to teaching SECD to students (adding to/enhancing what you already have been doing)
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bring your experiences to a level of providing staff/professional development in the field of SECD
Please email questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Our Accelerated Track courses of study and tuition costs are as follows:
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401 - Accelerated Combined Course - $ 469.00
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402 Accelerated Practicum Course - $ 453.00
Although SEL 401 and 402 have been developed as fully online courses, they also emphasize a participatory approach, incorporating (SECD) philosophy, activities and strategies into the classroom, counseling, and after-school groups as well as for oneself as a learner. There are unit completion due dates for assignments in order to:
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Move students through each unit and the course together while also providing the flexibility of an online course
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Build and develop an SECD learning community and enhance Live Chat discussions.
All correspondence and discussions will take place online via threaded discussions, comment and drop boxes and email with occasional synchronous discussions (Live Chats). Live Chats are an essential part of our courses. Live Chat dates are listed within the course by the instructor. A headset for Live Chats is required. We recommend a KOSS SB45 Communications Headset or a KOSS CS100 USBn Communications Headset.
HOW TO APPLY:
The following (4) Eligibility Documents must be submitted along with the Acclerated Program Application for review and acceptance:
- Accelerated Program Application
- Resume/CV specifically HIGHLIGHTING the following:
- Teaching degree
- your 5+ years of consistent and intentional SECD teaching experience OR workshop/training experience
- SECD programs and/or skills/virtues taught to students OR at workshops/trainings (a running list of your specific SECD experiences).
- the target population; grade, student, staff, parent etc
- how often lessons took place per week OR how often workshops/trainings were held throughout a year.
- a listing of each year SECD lessons were taught OR workshops/trainings were facilitated.
Please be as specific as possible when listing SECD programs taught and/or how you intentionally integrated SECD into academic content
We are specifically looking for your 5+ years of ACTUAL SECD teaching experiences in a consistent and intentional approach OR YOUR experience instructing/facilitating SECD workshops/trainings for 5+ years.
3. Letter from your school principal on school letterhead acknowledging your 5+ years of consistent and intentional SECD direct instruction to students OR providing consistent and intentional SECD professional development directly to adults (staff/parents).
4. Your own personal statement telling us why you believe you meet the eligibility requirements, your goals for acceptance into this program (what you are looking to get out of the program) and after successful completion, and what specifically you will bring to the cohort from your SECD 5+ years of experience. This letter of statement should be a minimum of one page but not to exceed 2.5 pages double spaced.
Send documents for review / feedback to
Additional information can be found on our Eligibility
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Accelerated (Advanced SECD) Track Course Descriptions
401 - Accelerated (Advanced) Combined Course (2 CEU’s)
This course combines SEL 101 (Foundations) and 102 (Pedagogy and Practice) into one course. The course has been constructed to take a minimum of 10 hours to complete yielding 2 professional development credit or continuing education unit (CEU). Like the other courses, this course is organized into 10 weeks of activities (8 units) to be completed sequentially. This course needs a minimum of 5 students to run. Please submit your eligibility documents as soon as possible so that the section can start on time. If the minimum number is not met the start date will be pushed to the next available offering.
Next 401 start date - 5/15/2024
Documents due on or before 2/28/24
469.00
402 Accelerated (Advanced) Practicum Course (2 CEU’s)
Having completed the Accelerated combined Foundations, Pedagogy and Practice (SEL 401) course for a Social-Emotional and Character Development Certificate, participants will be given the opportunity to apply their extensive skills in a guided way to an extended case example, allowing a demonstration of mastery of the application of skills to an acual workshop presentation to staff.
Participants will learn how to use the virtual Professional Learning Community as a resource for implementation, as well as how to be a resource to others within the vPLC, particularly those newer to SECD. The Accelerated Practicum provides a format for assembling and submitting a portfolio of representative accomplishment during participants’ years of initiating, implementing and assessing Social-Emotional and Character Development within your classroom, skill and character building groups, and/or after-school programs.
Practicum students will also create/develop 1 or 2 day SECD professional development workshop for staff. Upon the completion of the SEL 401 and 402 courses and the submission of the portfolio of accomplishment, participants will have earned 2 CEU’s and will receive a certificate from the sponsors, Rutgers University and the College of Saint Elizabeth.
$453.00
