A continuing education program that uniquely prepares participants to better understand and advocate for the needs of gender diverse children and youth — providing the groundwork needed to act as agents for change within educational systems and youth-serving organizations.
Gender Diversity in Children & Youth: History, Science, Society, and the Implementation of Inclusive and Affirming Policy and Practice
The first of its kind in the country, this program prepares participants to actively engage within classrooms, school boards, organizations, and communities regarding curriculum review and development, policies and practice, and advocacy work on behalf of gender diverse children and youth.
What Participants Will Learn:
Historical roots of how we experience gender in the 21st century
Child and adolescent gender development
The Impact of intersectionality and overlapping identities
Creating effective support systems
Affirming curriculum and policy development
Ways of becoming agents of change
This certificate program is beneficial for: Educators, administrators, support staff, curriculum developers, healthcare practitioners, psychologists, counselors, and those who wish to better understand and advocate for the needs of gender diverse children, youth, and adults.
Certificate Overview
Format: Virtually with live instructors Length: 4, 5-week long courses, spanning October 2025-June 2026 Credit: 8 graduate-level continuing education credit hours Full Certificate Cost: $3,000*
This is a continuing education certificate, and participants do not need to be a current student at Lewis & Clark Graduate School to apply and enroll.
Cohorts begin each fall, with a cap of no more than 20 students per section. Cohort students must take all four courses to complete the certificate. Two section options offer flexibility based on U.S. time zones.
Courses are offered synchronously online with live virtual instruction. The 2025-2026 cohort will have two sections. Both sections will meet independently on Thursdays, and will join together in one classroom on Saturdays.
Meeting Times
Thursday Meeting Times
Saturday Meeting Times
Section West
5-8 p.m PST (2-5 p.m. EST)
9 a.m.-12 p.m. PST / 12-3 p.m. EST
Section East
5-8 p.m EST (8-11 p.m. PST)
9 a.m.-12 p.m. PST / 12-3 p.m. EST
Course Dates
Class & Term
Dates
Course 1 (Fall 2025)
Thursdays & Saturdays, October 16-November 15, 2025
Course 2 (Winter 2026)
Thursdays & Saturdays, January 15-February 14, 2026
Course 3 (Spring 2026)
Thursdays & Saturdays, March 12-April 11, 2026
Course 4 (Summer 2026)
Thursdays & Saturdays, May 14-June 13, 2026
Course Descriptions
Fall 2025 Dates: Thursdays, October 16, 23, 30, November 6, 13; and Saturdays, October 18, 25, November 1, 8, 15
How to recognize the appearance of gender diversity through the historical record
How society has evolved socially and culturally around gender diversity
How different cultures have treated the presence of gender diversity throughout history
What impacts scientific development has had on our understanding of gender diversity
How historical patterns impact modern understandings of gender diversity
Course Description: This course will examine how early socio-cultural interpretation of sex and gender roles were established and then institutionalized through the development of human communities. We look at the historical record to examine how gender diversity has existed and evolved, and how different cultures have treated gender identities.
This course also looks into how scientific discoveries and practices have impacted our understanding of gender, and how our contemporary socio-cultural environment connects to those histories.
Spring 2026: Thursdays, January 15, 22, 29, February 5, 12; and Saturdays, January 17, 24, 31, February 7, 14
How to identify and understand the stages of gender development in children and adolescents
How to engage adults in evidence-based discussions on natural gender diversity in children and adolescents
How to model inclusive language and behaviors to support all children and adolescents and the adults who work with them
How to evaluate existing procedures and models around care and advocacy for gender expansive children and youth
Course Description: A deeper dive into gender identity development, providing a framework for discussion on how gender identity and expression develop over the child/adolescent lifecycle, how it differs from biological and sexual orientation development, and the impact gender roles and societal attributions have on an individual’s sense of their own gender identity.
This course will explore the ways in which child-rearing based on gender stereotypical expectations has evolved as a result of the socio-political, and medical visibility of gender diverse and transgender people in the 20th and 21st centuries.
It will include interaction with panels of gender diverse/transgender adolescents, teens and adults, and coursework involving individual engagement with the same population.
This course will address evidence-based factors that impact that development and expose existing myths and disinformation about ‘why’ visible gender diversity exists (and persists/desists) in a growing number of children, adolescents, and young adults.
Spring 2026: Thursdays, March 12, 19, 26, April 2, 9; and Saturdays, March 14, 21, 28, April 4, 11
How to analyze information through an intersectional lens
How legalized discrimination throughout American history impacts modern understandings of diversity
How to identify and build your discernment around dis- and mis-information surrounding gender diversity in the United States
How to counter disinformation and engage in productive conversations with your community around gender diversity
How to make informed decisions around your own work as an advocate for the care and protection of all children and youth you work with/know
Course Description: This course will include examination of the ways in which intersections of race, religion, ethnicity, citizenship and economic/educational disparity exponentially marginalize and oppress those who are transgender, nonbinary or otherwise gender diverse.
We will look at how public awareness and perception of gender diverse and transgender people has evolved in the 20th and 21st centuries—from that of disbelief and indifference, to psycho-medical curiosity and eventually, intersectional intolerance, discrimination, oppression, condemnation and political opportunism.
This course will expose myths and disinformation about ‘why’ visible gender diversity exists in a growing number of children and adolescents, and enable students to discern evidence-based information from subjectively interpreted disinformation and opinion.
Summer 2026: Thursdays, Nay 14, 21, 28, June 4, 11; and Saturdays, May 16, 23, 30, June 6, 13
How to review classroom, school, and organizational policy for ways in which gender diversity appears (or doesn’t appear)
How to advocate for inclusive and affirming policies that support all children and youth through equitable approaches
How to engage young people, their families, colleagues, and the community about inclusive policies that benefit all children and youth
How to write and/or improve current policies that impact your community
Course Description: Transgender students exist in every school district, county, city and town in the United States. Recent school surveys and other research tells us that 3% of students identify as a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth. Educators may be aware of general guidelines when it comes to transgender students’ rights and resources, but the guidelines themselves may not be consistent with existing laws or best practices. Furthermore, the rights of transgender, queer, nonbinary and gender diverse adults working within schools and districts are often overlooked in policy and procedure development, discussion and implementation.
We will discuss (in detail) federal, state and local laws such as Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendments Act regarding transgender student and adult rights, and provide tools and techniques to enable those attending and their organizations to embrace the full inclusion of transgender individuals in schools, workplaces and communities.
This course will provide school district staff and educators with a step-by-step roadmap to achieving these inclusivity and compliance goals. Implementation support emphasizing community engagement will also be provided to ensure that the unique needs of urban and rural communities are also addressed and that supportive networks can be formed and/or strengthened for ongoing success.
By the end of this course, students will be better prepared to: demonstrate inclusive language, support gender diverse students and address gender-based bullying, engage parents & caregivers in discussion about their child’s gender diversity, analyze curriculum for gender inclusivity and content, and create lesson plans/classroom activities that promote inclusivity.
Supportive Environment and Community
With small cohort sizes of 20 students or less, participants can expect personalized instruction and support from certificate faculty members and peers. Courses are offered in a live instruction onlineformat, taking place on evenings and weekends.
Social Justice Focused
Certificate material will critically examine existing institutional oppressions related to misogyny, patriarchy, socio-cultural bias (both implicit and explicit) and reliance on biological determinism as a defining characteristic of development.
Application Information
This is a cohort based program beginning in October, with a limit of 20 participants each year.
Rolling Admissions: Applications will be reviewed and acceptance offers made on a rolling basis. Early application is encouraged.
Application Deadlines:Priority Deadline-Friday, May 16, 2025; Final Deadline-Tuesday, September 2, 2025
Application Materials:Two personal essays, resume, official transcript, and application fee are required. Please email cce@lclark.edu with questions.
For applicants without a Bachelor’s Degree, contact cce@lclark.edu for application instructions.
Tuition Rate and Credit
Students who hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher will earn 8 semester hours of graduate continuing education credit (800 level). Those who do not have a Bachelor’s degree will receive a certificate of completion.
*Each course is two credits, at a rate of $375 a credit hour for the 2025-2026 academic year. Students should expect a minimal increase to the tuition rate each year. Tuition for each course ($750) is due prior to the start date of each course. Please see the Tuition and Costs page for current Continuing Education tuition rates, and Student Accounts for payment plan information.
TransActive is located in South Chapel Annex on the Graduate Campus. MSC: 85
