Functional Awareness® Certification

Functional Awareness Movement Educator Certification (FA®ME)

Functional Awareness® Movement Educators develop a firm foundation in anatomical and somatic approaches to movement. Participants learn specific strategies and skills facilitate efficiency of movement. In addition, the program teaches one to live and practice the principles of ease in action in the studio and integrate the principles in daily life.

2025-2026 Requirements for Certification as a Functional Awareness® Movement Educator

Functional Awareness offerings can be enrolled separately to enrich practices as a movement educator.

To become a certified Functional Awareness® Movement Educator( FA®ME) one is required to enroll in all three educational offerings listed here.

Course of Study

The Functional Awareness® Movement Educator certification is a 100 hour training in this practice. It prepares educators to incorporate the FA principles into their movement and teaching practices. There are 3 parts to the training.

Part 1: Zoom Sessions

6 sessions in total: $350

*Pre-meeting: Wednesday, October 22nd 11:00am – 12:30pm ET
Topic: Introductions and logistics!(the meetings are recorded if a conflict in attendance arises)

  1. Wednesday, November 12th 11:00am – 12:30pm ET
    Topic: 4Rs, Honoring Skeletal Variances
    Read: Chapters 1-3 in FA & Y
  2. Wednesday, January 15th 11:00am – 12:30pm ET
    Topic: Spine & Systems of Balance
    Read: Chapters 4,5,& 9 in FA & Y
  3. Wednesday, March 18th 11:00am – 12:30pm ET
    Topic: The relationship of hip joint to knee, ankle, and foot
    Read: Chapter 6,7,8 in FA & Y
  4. Wednesday, May 13th 11:00am – 12:30pm ET
    Topic: Global Postural Support, Core, Domes
    Read: Chapters 10, 11, 12 in FA & Y
  5. Wednesday, June 17th 11:00am – 12:30pm ET
    Topic: Arms. AND Plan for Summer
    Read: Chapters 14 & 14

Part 2: Asynchronous Learning

OPDI Asynchronous Online Course Offered through the National Dance Education Organization (NDEO)

*Paid directly to NDEO  Fee: $295 for members and $370 for non-members

Intended dates: June 8 – July 19

Part 3: Functional Awareness Summer Study

In person 4-day course at Towson University (Towson, MD US)

FASS 2026 $450 ($400 for early bird/ certification cohort)

Date: July 27-30 2026

 

Please let us know if you have any questions and/or you’d like to meet to discuss in more detail!

Click here https://functionalawareness.org/5-day-summer-study-in-functional-awareness-anatomy-in-action/ to see a sample of the curriculum and daily timeline

Outcomes:

Participants will

  • Learn the FA reflective practice of the 4Rs
  • Learn an approach to anatomy through multimedia, interactive, creative methods
  • Develop visual, tactile, and proprioceptive skills training to assess, assist, and enhance student learning in movement skills through embodied anatomy.
  • Improve your functional anatomy literacy
  • Participate in private/group sessions with Certified FAEducators
  • Integrate Functional Awareness® principles of movement function into a movement practice of choice
  • Develop lesson plans applying FA® concepts to specific disciplines
  • Teach integrative research and applications to fellow educators and trainees

For further information and application information contact us at info@functionalawareness.org.

Make your course payments here:

PAY NOW