It’s 2025 and we know you’re ready to shake things up. For the last three years, you’ve been learning and growing with us through our CERTIFIED Academy: Business, CERTIFIED Academy: Design, and CERTIFIED Academy: IT courses.
This year, we’re consolidating our courses, making it easier for educators like you to find relevant training sessions, regardless of your subject or teaching area. Get ready for CERTIFIED Academy 2025!
What is CERTIFIED Academy?
CERTIFIED Academy is an immersive online professional development program for educators. You can join any of our ten webinars to hear from some of the country’s best education experts, helping you hone your skills and discover new resources for your classroom. You can also learn about our full pathway of curriculum, practice tests, and certification exams. And all for free! Keep scrolling to see (and register for) our scheduled line-up.
Schedule
January: Empowering the marketers, entrepreneurs, and creators in your classroom
Marketing and technological expertise are critical not only for marketing students, but also for any student who dreams of building a business, growing an online audience, or sharing a message with the world.
In this session, co-sponsored by the Adobe Certified Professional and Meta Certified Digital Marketing Associate programs, we'll explore strategies for nurturing the next generation of business leaders, creative thinkers, and storytellers. Discover techniques and resources to support students in developing job-ready skills to launch their careers, as well as the marketing acumen and entrepreneurial spirit to find long-term success in a dynamic workforce landscape.
Date: Tuesday, January 28, 2025
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Register here.
February: Empower students of color with digital mastery
Students preparing for high-tech roles need strong digital literacy skills. But according to recent data from the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, people of color are underrepresented in these roles, with roughly 7% of professionals self-identifying as Black and 8% as Hispanic.
In honor of Black History Month and in partnership with our IC3 Digital Literacy certification team, we’ll meet with a panel of IT education experts to discuss ways to empower students of color with in-demand technology skills, helping prepare them for their future careers in IT and beyond.
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Register here.
March: Women leading in the digital age
It’s 2025 and we’re ready to close the technology gender gap! According to a report from the (US) National Center for Science and Engineering Statistics, only 35% of professionals in STEM careers are women. But it doesn’t need to be this way.
Join this webinar, sponsored by the Microsoft Office Specialist certification program, to hear from women who got their start in technology with a MOS certification. We’ll discuss how they were empowered to pursue technological careers, and what recommendations they have for their fellow female techies and their educators.
Date: Tuesday, March 25, 2025
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Register here.
April: Finance 101: New ways to teach finance and accounting
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics projects higher than average growth in accounting and finance positions in the coming decade. In fact, over 715,000 openings are predicted in the business and finance sphere between now and 2031. With such strong growth (and earning potential), it’s no wonder educators want to prepare students for jobs in accounting and finance.
In this Intuit certification-sponsored forum, we’ll talk with accounting educators about the skills most in demand in the finance industry, and how to help students get prepared for the workforce.
Date: Tuesday, April 29, 2025
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Register here.
May: Design and make: Creating a fun classroom environment
Research studies consistently demonstrate the power of active learning or learning by doing. Helping students become more engaged in the learning process means creating hands-on learning opportunities. Co-sponsored by the Autodesk Certified User and Unity Certified User certification programs, this session is all about how to engage your learners with a playful and hands-on curriculum. We’ll share expert advice from veteran educators that you can easily apply in your classroom.
Date: Tuesday, May 20, 2025
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Register here.
August: Ready or not: Teaching ideas for the AI-hesitant educator
Every day we use and interact with devices that use artificial intelligence, but to most of us the concepts of AI and machine learning are cryptic. With generative AI on the rise and more jobs requesting applicants with AI skills, it’s now more important than ever to teach students these skills.
In this panel discussion, computer science educators and AI experts will present an overview of the big ideas of artificial intelligence and how AI lessons can be incorporated into your classroom. Example activities and projects will be presented, along with a variety of resources and available curriculum.
Date: Tuesday, August 26, 2025
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Register here.
September: Celebrating all laborers: Helping students find a career they’re passionate about
September is the month of back to school for many, Labor Day, and the start of the educational year. Let’s kick it off by talking with educators from across the country about how to help students find careers they’re passionate about. Whether you teach IT skills, health sciences, hospitality, or any other subject, we’ll discuss principles that will help you connect with your individual students and help them create goals for their future career success.
Date: Tuesday, September 30, 2025
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Register here.
October: Securing their future with cybersecurity skills
Security threats and nefarious tactics from hackers are on the rise, demanding more awareness and vigilance online. According to an IBM study of over 150 billion daily security events in more than 130 countries, there was a 71% year-over-year increase in cyberattacks that used stolen or compromised data. This rise in attacks has increased the demand for cybersecurity professionals in various industries.
Co-sponsored by the Cisco Certified Support Technician, IT Specialist, and Microsoft Certified Fundamentals certification programs, this webinar will be one IT educators won’t want to miss. We'll hear from cybersecurity experts who will share insights and tips on how to prepare students for this rapidly expanding field. Hear all about their professional experiences, key lessons they’ve learned, and effective strategies for educators to inspire learners to pursue careers in security and IT.
Date: Tuesday, October 28, 2025
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Register here.
November: Management skills for strategic planning and execution
Educators know that preparing students for the contemporary workforce looks dramatically different than it did even a few years ago. Today’s students need to be prepared to succeed in an even more demanding environment. In this session, co-sponsored by the Entrepreneurship and Small Business and Project Management Institute (PMI) Project Management Ready certification programs, we’ll talk all about skills needed for the managers and leaders of tomorrow’s workforce. Whether you’re focusing on project management, communication, or an entrepreneurial mindset, we’ll cover ways to help your students master the skills required of tomorrow’s business leaders.
Date: Tuesday, November 18, 2025
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Register here.
December: There’s an app for that: Preparing students for the app economy
Want to prepare students for the app economy? With support from the App Development with Swift certification program, we’ll dive into the details for these Apple certifications, and hear from educators about how to get students excited and engaged with app development. Get ideas for how you can showcase your students’ work and hear valuable advice for any coding teacher.
Date: Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Time: 12 p.m. ET
Register here.
Don’t worry if one of the dates or times listed won’t work with your schedule. Register and you’ll get first access to a recorded presentation to view on your own time. We can’t wait to learn with all of you!