Gender Diversity Program debuts on LC campus

Cari Zall, Jenn Burleton spearhead first-of-its-kind graduate certification program this October

This fall, the Lewis & Clark Graduate School of Education and Counseling, along with the TransActive Gender Project, is launching a Gender Diversity Certificate Program, the first of its kind.

The TransActive Gender Project is a nonprofit organization that has been serving the Portland metro area for 15 years. Three years ago the TransActive Center moved their home base to the LC Graduate School of Education and Counseling and have been developing the program since.

The Gender Diversity Certificate Program is a four-course, online process that takes place over a nine month period. Each year, 20 students will be accepted into a cohort. It aims to teach the history and socioeconomic circumstances of gender, as well as  practical training for those planning careers in youth-serving professions to support and empower trans-spectrum individuals.

Jenn Burleton and Cari Zall are co-directors of the Gender Diversity Certificate Program. Zall is an Associate Professor in the Teacher Education Department in addition to their role as co-director. Burleton, a nationally-recognized expert on gender-diverse youth, also serves as the TransActive Program Director. Zall credits Burleton with helping to spearhead the program.

“This program was born out of her desire to provide the background and tools to people who want to dive into the work of justice and care for young people and children,” Zall said via email.

A unique aspect is that it is available to everyone, regardless of whether they hold a bachelor’s degree. For example, undergraduate students may take the course and receive a certificate of completion in lieu of graduate class credits. 

“We wanted it to be a program that acknowledges the intersectionality and variety of spaces where young people are supported.” Zall said.

The program is connected to the Center for Community Engagement to ensure that this opportunity is accessible to whomever may benefit from it.

The courses offered in the Gender Diversity Certificate Program are Patriarchy, Transmisogyny and the Science of Human Diversity, Child and Adolescent Gender Development: Society, Healthcare, Education and Maturation, Intersectional Discrimination and Disinformation in the U.S. and From Policy to Practice: Protecting Student/Staff Rights and Implementing Policy Change in Schools and Communities.

“The courses will include a deep dive into the history of gender itself, the social, political, and economic cultures and contexts in which gender exists today, the ways transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive kids are experiencing policy that impacts them, and finally, how to effect substantive and systemic change in our work to support youth,” Zall said.

With this kind of comprehensive, intersectional gender diversity education available for future teachers, administrators, counselors, childcare providers and attorneys, the support for gender non-conforming and transgender youth in public spaces can be vastly improved. Already, the visibility given to gender identity development has come a long way in the past few years.

“I was drawn to this work because I am the parent of a transgender child and have long hoped to be part of Jenn’s incredible work to educate and support the transgender and gender-expansive community,” Zall said.

Driven by a deep passion for inclusive gender practices, Zall and Burleton are paving a critical road that many other schools are likely to follow. It is an honor that L&C Graduate School is the home of this program. 

Zall is thrilled to welcome the first cohort of students this October. Applications are due on Sept. 30. Any questions regarding the certification program may be directed to transactive@lclark.edu.