Education, Training & Leadership Opportunities
The Center for Gender and Sexuality offers learning opportunities that help students build knowledge, leadership skills and confidence while supporting a safer, more inclusive campus community. Through workshops, peer education, certificate programs, and internships, students can engage with topics related to gender equity, sexuality, violence prevention, and advocacy.
Trainings and Workshops
CGS student leaders, with support from professional staff, organize workshops, events, and outreach throughout the year to promote gender equity, support LGBTQIA2S+ communities, and help prevent gender-based violence.
Student leaders create programs that focus on gender equity, human sexuality, and sexual health. They also address issues related to relationship violence, including sexual assault, intimate partner violence, stalking, and harassment. Through our peer education program, they facilitate educational workshops and develop on-campus training sessions.
Certificate Programs
We offer three 8-week certificate programs annually:
- Sexual Violence Prevention: This seminar explores the dynamics of intimate partner violence, including consent, power and control and bystander intervention strategies to prevent gender based violence.
- Healthy Masculinity: Open to all gender identities, the Healthy Masculinity certificate addresses the impact to rape culture, ideals about masculinity and power that has contributed to unrealistic expectations of gender stereotypes and violence.
- Queer Education and Advocacy: Discover and learn more about sexuality, gender identity and expression through robust discussion and current events impacting the LGBTQIA+ community.
To learn more about these certificate programs, follow us on social media or connect with us by email at cgs.umflint@umich.edu.
Leadership Development
CGS Internships
CGS offers academic internships for undergraduate and graduate students in social work, education, public health, communications, and related fields. Each internship experience is tailored to the student’s learning agreement and offers hands-on opportunities to build knowledge and skills connected to CGS’s work.
Interns may:
- Deepen their understanding of sexual violence prevention and response, human sexuality, sexual health, gender equity, and activism.
- Receive training toward peer educator certification.
- Co-facilitate weekly peer groups such as Women Talk Wednesday and Queer Thursdays.
- Develop and lead workshops centered on CGS focus areas.
- Support outreach, events, and awareness campaigns through content creation and promotional materials.
Students must be currently enrolled and in good academic standing. Internship hours may also fulfill academic internship requirements within their field of study.
Peer Education Program
Peer Educators are UM-Flint students with specialized training who help educate their peers about consent, bystander intervention, gender, sexuality, and sexual violence prevention. They play a key role in creating a safer, more informed, and more supportive campus community.
Peer Educators:
- Teach practical skills that help students prevent harm and navigate difficult situations.
- Develop and deliver workshops for classes, student groups, and campus events.
- Support professional staff with outreach and programming related to CGS’s mission.
Through this work, Peer Educators help reduce the potential for harm and support students in responding more effectively when challenging situations arise.
Request a Program
CGS Professional Staff and Peer Educators facilitate information sessions, workshops and presentations held as academic class sessions, certificate programs, or one-time events. To request a Peer Educator training, please submit a CGS Program Request Form.
To learn more students can contact CGS Director Samara L. Hough by email.