Anti-racism certificate helps graduates 'center equity' in K-12, higher education
Students at the Ohio State University can apply to complete an 'Anti-Racism in Education' certificate addressing 'issues of racial identity, power, and privilege' at a cost ranging from $2,437 to $7,424.
The certificate program, intended for a K-12 and higher education context, joins other courses and even entire degree programs dedicated to critical race theory or diversity, equity, and inclusion.
During the spring semester, students at the Ohio State University (OSU) can apply to complete an “Anti-Racism in Education” certificate at a cost ranging from $2,437 to $7,424.
OSU’s ongoing certificate program coincides with a proliferation of courses and even entire degree programs that focus on critical race theory (CRT), anti-racism, or diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
The certificate is offered by the College of Education and Human Ecology to graduate and non-degree seeking students and includes coursework that “[e]xamine[s] and interrogate[s] issues of racial identity, power, and privilege in educational spaces.”
Applications for the fall 2023 semester will close on July 1, and OSU is currently hosting the certificate program for the spring 2023 semester.
“Now, perhaps more than ever,” a video advertising the program opens, “the importance of anti-racism is clear in educational and other institutions and practices.”
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“Anti-Racism in Education” is intended to teach students how “to become meaningfully involved in the theories and practices of anti-racism in a variety of educational contexts,” according to the video, which features images of K-12 classrooms.
Among the stated features of the program is teaching students how they “can work to dismantle oppressive practices and center equity” everywhere from pre-kindergarten to college. Students also “[l]earn to better advocate for anti-racist practice in matters of teaching, learning, and broader education contexts” and “[e]ngage anti-racist theory and research in support of high-quality, research-informed solutions to educational equity dilemmas.”
In order to complete the program, students must take at least 12 credit hours. The core courses are “Philosophical Perspectives on Race, Education, and Citizenship” and “Anti-racist, Culturally Responsive Education.” Students can select elective courses that include “Exploring Whiteness,” “Critical Race Theory (CRT) in Education,” and “Intersectionality in Higher Education.”
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OSU has also worked directly with school districts to promote anti-racism in K-12 education. In 2021 and 2022, OSU partnered with eight school districts through a program called the “Leading Anti-Racism Change in Education Collaborative.” The collaborative, according to its website, helped participants implement “anti-racism, equity and diversity initiatives” in order to dismantle “cultures of inequity.”
Campus Reform contacted the Ohio State University and the College of Education and Human Ecology for comment and will update this article accordingly.
