Celebrating Genius in Every Learner - EDU-X729V

Course Description

Discover how to use a proven, five-pillar framework to uncover and cultivate the unique brilliance and joy in all your students.

“Celebrating Genius in Every Learner" is a self-paced online course designed to inspire and equip educators to uncover, nurture, and honor the unique brilliance within every student. Rooted in the principles of culturally and historically responsive education, the course draws from Gholdy Muhammad’s transformative framework in Cultivating Genius. Participants will explore five essential pillars—Identity, Skills, Intellect, Criticality, and Joy—that support holistic student development and affirm diverse ways of knowing and being.

Offered through the University of San Diego’s Division of Professional and Continuing Education in collaboration with the university’s School of Leadership and Education Sciences , the program prepares you to apply best practices to plan, deliver and assess character education in the classroom.

This professional development course, is led by distinguished faculty from the School of Leadership and Education Sciences (SOLES). SOLES Professional Learning (SPL) educators bring a rich blend of academic expertise and practical, real-world experience to support meaningful learning and application.

Learner Outcomes

• Analyze and apply Gholdy Muhammad’s equity framework—Identity, Skills, Intellect, Criticality, and Joy—to design culturally and historically responsive learning environments
• Reflect on personal and professional identity to better support students in affirming their own cultural and individual identities within the classroom
• Integrate culturally responsive teaching strategies that build academic skills and connect learning to students’ lived experiences and community knowledge
• Facilitate inquiry-based and critical thinking activities that promote intellectual development and empower students to engage with real-world issues through a social justice lens
• Create joyful, inclusive classrooms that foster emotional well-being, creativity, and resilience while maintaining academic rigor

Course Details

Number of Units: 1.0 graduate level extension credits in semester hours

Who Should Attend: This course is ideal for students, educators, community leaders, and professionals seeking to deepen their understanding of social justice and apply it in personal, academic, and civic contexts.

Refund Policy: To receive a refund, students need to drop the course through the MyPCE@USD student account portal before midnight (11:59PT) on the third day of the course. The refund of the course fee will be returned less a processing fee of 10% of the course tuition. No refunds will be issued after this deadline.