The Harmony Academy Certificate for Educators: Foundations empowers educators' knowledge and use of relationship-driven social and emotional learning (SEL) practices that facilitate youth engagement, while simultaneously promoting career advancement for educators. This certificate provides educators with a structured professional learning pathway to become a skillful user of the Harmony Curriculum and Harmony Professional Learning resources, offering a comprehensive blend of theory and practice in SEL and elevating relationships within teaching and learning. The Harmony Academy Certificate for Educators: Foundations includes four micro-credentials:
Micro-credential 1: Fundamentals of SEL: This micro-credential will strengthen your understanding of social and emotional learning (SEL). We begin this micro-credential by exploring the fundamentals of SEL and reflecting on your personal development of social and emotional competencies. Subsequently, we delve into how your SEL development influences your interactions with students and the implementation of the Harmony Program Curriculum. (20 Course Learning Hours)
Micro-credential 2: Theories and Research within SEL: This micro-credential expands your knowledge of theory and research in SEL with a focus on culturally responsive practices and equity. You will investigate the Intergroup Contact Theory and Social Cognitive Theory, the foundational theoretical frameworks of the Harmony Curriculum, and explore how these theories drive the curriculum’s content, activities, and strategies. In a culminating assignment, you will complete an annotated bibliography of the readings, including implications of implementing the Harmony Curriculum. (14 Course Learning Hours)
Micro-credential 3: Creating Spaces of Belonging: Harmony Academy is your SEL hub. In this micro-credential you will start by analyzing other SEL programs and determine the strengths and opportunities of implementing the Harmony Curriculum. You will then investigate how to use the tools and resources within the Harmony Curriculum to deepen a sense of belonging and strengthen relationships within your learning environment. You will further explore how you can use the active ingredients within the Harmony Curriculum to deepen relationships. The micro-credential culminates in a reflective examination of the needs and assets of your students and learning community, as well as beginning your implementation plan. (19 Course Learning Hours)
You have the option to earn the Harmony Academy Certificate of Recognition: Educator Foundations by completing Micro-credentials 1-3. Upon completion of the Harmony Academy Certificate of Recognition: Educator Foundations, you have the option to earn the Harmony Academy Certificate of Advanced Recognition: Educator Foundations by completing Micro-credential 4.
Micro-credential 4: Educator Growth and Harmony Enhancement: Creating Harmony in your school and classroom community requires thoughtful planning of the Harmony Curriculum and identifying strategies to use Harmony as a tool throughout the day. In this micro-credential, you will consolidate your learning from the previous micro-credentials to create a detailed implementation plan and stakeholder presentation. The activities in this micro-credential will prepare you to facilitate and nurture your own and your student’s social, emotional, and academic growth within your classroom, reflect on how you can lean into teacher credibility to accelerate learning, and leverage your knowledge and skills as an educator to empower students in creating a harmonious learning environment. (79 Course Learning Hours)
