APPLY
VISIT
GIVETEACH UP Certificate Program 鈥� Course Series for Educators
(Transformative Education for the Advancement of Community and Holism for Underrepresented Populations)
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About the TEACH UP Program
The TEACH UP Certificate Program (Transformative Education for the Advancement of Community and Holism for Underrepresented Populations) is designed to support educators in creating inclusive, learner-centered environments that serve diverse and underrepresented populations.
This live online 3-course certificate program guides education professionals in developing practices that support English language learners, special education populations, individuals with social-emotional needs, and other historically underrepresented groups across K鈥�12 settings. With this approach, the program equips education professionals with essential skills in teaching, mentorship, life coaching, wellness, and relationship building鈥攕trengthening their ability to effectively support the students they serve.
Participants will learn to apply the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTPs) while developing foundational teaching and coaching strategies that promote personal growth and resilience for both educators and students. The program emphasizes integrating life coaching principles, wellness strategies, and CSTP-aligned practices into daily instruction.
By completing the TEACH UP Certificate Program, educators are prepared to foster positive classroom environments where students feel physically secure, emotionally supported, valued, and connected鈥攂uilding trust and promoting long-term student and educator success.
Who Should Attend
This program is open to a broad audience and is designed for anyone involved in teaching and learning. It is ideal for:
- Current teachers and educators
- Pre-service teachers and individuals enrolled in teacher education programs
- School and district administrators
- Instructional aides and support staff
- Higher education faculty and staff
- Anyone engaged in teaching, mentoring, or supporting learners, particularly in diverse and inclusive educational settings
TEACH UP Program Benefits
- Earn your certificate in as little as 18 weeks with 3 focused, 6-week courses
- Develop the skills to create equitable, bias-aware, and culturally responsive learning environments
- Engage in coursework aligned with the California Standards for the Teaching Profession (CSTPs)
- Receive 3 extension units per course, totaling 9 extension units upon certificate completion
Program Fees, Application, and Registration
How to Apply:
- Complete the .听
(Note:听Submitting听the听Application听Form does not guarantee听enrollment.)听 - The program team will review your submission.听
- All prospective students will be contacted听regarding听their eligibility and听next听steps.听
- If eligible, confirm your intent to enroll听and complete any required registration steps.听听
- Once officially enrolled, you will receive your CSUDH login credentials听and access to the Canvas Learning Management System to access your course.听
Course Fees:
Program Total: $3,600
$1,200 per Course
$400 per Extension Unit
Grant funding available
(See for details)
Application Deadline: TBD
Prospective students should complete the program application form:
Start Date: July 6, 2026
Questions? Please contact: Dr. Peter Watts 鈥⑻�pwatts@csudh.edu
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Course Modality
6 Weeks per Course | 18 Total Weeks of Instruction Time | 54 Total Hours
Courses are offered live online via Zoom听and the Canvas Learning Management System, with one class meeting per week held on Saturday mornings. Attendance at all class sessions is required.
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Course Descriptions
Each Course: 3.0 Extension Units
TEX 553 91
Components of Care
Prerequisite: None
The Components of Care curriculum was developed to support teachers in supporting African American students in the classroom. There are six modules that address the various competencies that are necessary for teachers to understand and internalize but are often missing from teacher education programs. If thirty three percent of teachers are leaving the classroom within the first three years and forty six percent leave within the first five years, we must change our practices to support the teachers鈥� persistence in the field (Brill & McCartney, 2008). If we support the holistic development of educators by providing a curriculum on caring for students, while also addressing the care of educators, we may further support their persistence in the field.
Session 1 |
Introduction to Care
Session 2 |
Themes of Care
Session 3 |
Care & Educational Experiences
Session 4 |
Care in the Classroom
Session 5 |
Culturally Relevant Pedagogy in the Classroom
Session 6 |
Teaching as Activism
TEX 563 91
Mastery & Empowerment
Prerequisite: TEX 553
The Mastery & Empowerment course develops the holistic competencies educators need to thrive personally and professionally. This course centers self-awareness, emotional intelligence, career clarity, communication, wellness, and navigating life transitions with purpose. Participants learn structured coaching tools, reflective practices, and CSTP-aligned strategies to build a professional identity rooted in confidence, clarity, and long-term sustainability. Educators will explore their strengths, develop goals tied to purpose and wellness, strengthen relationships, and learn strategies for resilience throughout the educator journey. The course integrates theory, self-reflection, and community learning鈥攎irroring the model of the Components of Care.
Session 1 |
Self-Awareness & Personal Growth
Session 2 |
Career Development & Professional Development
Session 3 |
Relationships & Communication
Session 4 |
Health & Wellness
Session 5 |
Goal Setting & Motivation
Session 6 |
Life Transitions
TEX 567 91
Wellness Practice for Teachers
Prerequisite: TEX 553 and TEX 563
Wellness Practice for Teachers is a holistic, strengths-based course designed to help educators cultivate balanced, sustainable, and healthy professional lives. Grounded in research on educator well-being, stress management, and flourishing, this course guides participants in exploring interconnected dimensions of wellness and developing practical habits that support longevity in the Education field. Through reflective exercises, case studies, skill-building activities, and community dialogue, educators learn to model wellness in their classrooms, create emotionally healthy learning environments, and integrate wellness practices into daily routines for themselves and their students.
Session 1 |
Physical Wellness
Session 2 |
Intellectual Wellness
Session 3 |
Financial Wellness
Session 4 |
Emotional Wellness
Session 5 |
Social Wellness
Session 6 |
Core Values & Wellness, Ethics in Action
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TEACH UP Program Faculty
Dr. Peter Watts, Jr. | pwatts@csudh.edu
Dr. Peter Watts, Jr. was born and raised in South Los Angeles and is currently the CEO and Co-Founder of the Watts of Power Foundation, where he leads the Teacher Village (a program designed to recruit and train more Black male teachers, with plans to also provide them affordable housing in the neighborhoods where they teach). He is a graduate of CSUDH, where he received his B.A. in Mass Communications. He received his Masters of Education in Administration and Leadership degree from University of Phoenix; he holds a Masters and Doctorate in Theology from Fuller Seminary. His educational career began more than 20 years ago in the Los Angeles Unified School District at Compton Avenue Elementary School. He then taught for seven years at ICEF Public Schools, where he also was the founding principal of Thurgood Marshall Middle School, a blended learning and project-based focus school; he ended his career at ICEF as the Director of Blended Learning, where he developed a comprehensive and innovative approach to education. Dr. Watts also serves on the advisory board for Teach for America, Los Angeles.
Dr. Didi Watts | dwatts@csudh.edu
Dr. Didi Watts is an accomplished education advocate who holds a bachelor鈥檚 degree in psychology, a master鈥檚 degree in education with a concentration in counseling, and an EdD in Educational Leadership for Social Justice. Dr. Watts was born and raised in LAUSD Board District 7 and has spent more than 20 years as an educator advocating for the needs of Black and Latino students. She served as an LAUSD elementary district intern in South Los Angeles before transitioning into the role of school psychologist. Fueled by a desire to provide excellent support to special education students and families, she served as the Assistant Director of Special Education within a charter management organization. Upon receiving her administrative credential, Dr. Watts served as a middle school principal, focusing on academics while improving school culture and climate. Most recently, she was the Vice President of Education for a non-profit in West Los Angeles, supporting students with special needs in non-public and residential placements. She currently serves as the Chief of Staff for LAUSD BD 7.
Tunji Adebayo, Jr., M.Ed听
Tunji Adebayo, Jr. is a nationally recognized educator, speaker, and holistic health advocate committed to empowering underrepresented communities. As Founder and Vision Alignment Officer of RHYME LLC (Chasing Overflow), he integrates education, wellness, and personal development to support transformative growth. He holds a B.S. in Dietetics from the University of Georgia and a Master鈥檚 in Urban Education from Loyola Marymount University and is also a certified personal trainer, Plant鈥態ased Nutrition Certificate holder, and dedicated whole鈥慺ood, plant鈥慴ased practitioner. Tunji authored Using African Proverbs to Address the MESS, a culturally grounded wellness framework鈥擬ental, Emotional, Spiritual, Share鈥攏ow being piloted as a men鈥檚 mental health program in London.
Since beginning his professional speaking career in 2022, Tunji has delivered more than 300 keynotes and workshops across the U.S., Mexico, and London, reaching over 30,000 people and earning a growing social media following of more than 85,000 across Instagram and TikTok (@TheMostBlessedManAlive). A former middle and high school teacher in Los Angeles and Atlanta, he brings deep classroom experience and strong student rapport to his work. Tunji is also a proud member of the Beta Zeta Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, and remains committed to advancing holistic well鈥慴eing for communities worldwide.
Johnny Reed, M.Ed.听听
Johnny Reed is an educator, policy leader, and founder of ProjectHEAL Inc., driven by his early experiences as a High School African American Literature Teacher on Chicago鈥檚 South Side, where he saw firsthand how trauma and systemic inequities affected students and teachers. In response, he launched ProjectHEAL in 2017 to create spaces for school communities to understand trauma鈥檚 impact on learning, well鈥慴eing, and retention, and to develop culturally relevant coping strategies. Within five years, he built more than 62 partnerships across 16 states and reached over 4,000 education leaders, ultimately impacting more than 200,000 students. Over seven years, he also secured $1.6M in funding to expand trauma鈥慽nformed learning and healing experiences nationwide.
In 2024, Reed digitized ProjectHEAL鈥檚 programming, offering students and educators nationwide access to Trauma鈥慖nformed Learning, Healing鈥慍entered Programming, and Mental Health Education through an online platform and app. Now a rising Superintendent and Education Leadership Doctoral Candidate at Harvard鈥檚 Graduate School of Education, he partners with districts and school leaders to write policy requiring Mental Health Education for middle school promotion and high school graduation. Reed believes these policies are essential to addressing the youth mental health crisis and ensuring all students build early preventive skills, develop resilience, and gain equitable access to lifelong well鈥慴eing.
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