School Counselors Making an Imprint on Future Generations (GSCA 2026 Annual Conference)

All Levels

All Levels

Battling Burnout: Multitasking is a Myth, a dynamic session designed for professional school counselors in Georgia. This workshop challenges the misconception of multitasking and explores how it contributes to burnout, decreased effectiveness, and emotional fatigue. Participants will gain practical strategies to improve focus, set boundaries, and prioritize self-compassion while maintaining high-quality student support. Attendees will leave empowered with tools to enhance productivity, well-being, and professional sustainability.

Elementary/Middle

All Levels

Steps on how to build a sustainable student leadership model with skills the next generation needs. Student Council ideas and initatives from a 2026 ASCA School of Excellence.

All Levels

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

School counselors are often assigned multiple roles beyond counseling, including PBIS coach, MTSS coordinator, 504 coordinator, attendance support, family engagement liaison, and event planning, which can undermine their core responsibilities. This session examines the impact of “All Other Duties as Assigned” on counselor effectiveness and student support. Participants will explore strategies to protect the counseling role, reduce overload, and strengthen systems that allow counselors to focus on academic, social-emotional, and equitable student services.

Elementary

Middle

Come learn how to intentionally support elementary students' career development and implement an impactful Career Day event. This session provides suggestions for original Career Cluster class lessons and Career Day Unit class lessons that enhance students’ interests/abilities, skills/talents, post-secondary planning, and job interviewing etiquette. All lessons utilize ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors standards and learning objectives. This session also provides helpful logistical tips to ensure Career Day planning is a success!

Middle/High School

New Counselor/Graduate Student

School counselors have the power to leave a lasting imprint on future generations, especially for students whose needs are often overlooked in traditional school models. This engaging session highlights innovative, data-driven strategies for designing multi-tiered support systems in nontraditional settings aligned with the ASCA National Model®. Participants will discover impactful ways to empower learners through comprehensive school counseling practices that foster belonging, growth, resilience, and equitable outcomes for ALL students.

All Levels

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

Advocacy is central to school counseling, yet evolving policies and legislation often create real ethical tension. This session equips counselors with practical strategies to navigate those challenges while staying aligned with professional ethics. Using an ecological lens and case-based scenarios, participants will learn how to balance compliance with student-centered advocacy, protect confidentiality, and address systemic barriers. Walk away with clear, actionable steps to confidently support student safety, dignity, and well-being in complex, policy-driven environments.

Middle/High School

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

School counselors play a key role in supporting students and families during the middle-to-high school transition. This session highlights a counselor-led parent book study using Michelle Icard’s Fourteen Talks by Age Fourteen. Participants will learn how this multi-week program equips parents with practical tools for meaningful conversations about independence, friendships, self-advocacy, and emotional well-being. Attendees will gain strategies to engage families and structure fruitful discussions about parenting a teenager through this major life transition.

All Levels

All Levels

School counselors are one the front lines of supporting students’ academic development, career guidance and social/emotional growth. We cannot do this work alone. School librarians are often underutilized, which makes for an ideal collaborative partner in the counseling office! This session highlights how we can partner with school librarians to extend care for students and explore strategies to integrate bibliotherapy. Together, we can create responsive and inclusive environments strengthening wellness and academic success school wide.

High School

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

Senior Success Day is a workshop-based day in high school focused on addressing topics related to becoming a young adult such as checking accounts, signing a contract, and what to do when you get pulled over by a police officer. Come learn more about how to use community resources and plan the event.

New Counselor/Graduate Student

All Levels

This session guides participants in building a personalized, organized digital toolbox housing intervention strategies, group lesson plans, and tier-aligned resources. While the framework of the session is primarily designed for counselors-in-training and emerging professionals, all attendees, including experienced school counselors will leave equipped with a practical approach that supports professional advocacy, seamless intervention implementation, and annual program planning by creating one accessible, comprehensive blueprint for their evolving school counseling practice.

Elementary/Middle

School Administrator

Student Intervention Centers integrate academic and behavioral supports through a proactive, two-pronged approach. Many students lack strategies to meet expectations before discipline referrals occur, and schools often respond reactively. This session examines how PBIS, restorative practices, SEL, and MTSS work together to build a relationship-centered culture. By using real-time data, educators can identify root causes and provide timely interventions. Participants will gain practical strategies to improve behavior, reduce discipline incidents, and strengthen overall school climate.

All Levels

All Levels

As a Gen X counselor, our professional identity was forged in a world of tactile connection and latchkey independence. Today, we meet a Generation Alpha defined by digital tethering and algorithmic noise. This session invites us to reflect on how our "vintage" resilience can serve as an anchor in the modern counseling office. We will explore the translation of our analog wisdom into a bridge of authentic advocacy, helping 2026’s students reclaim their own voice.

All Levels

All Levels

Your school may have an untapped resource in fathers and father figures and not even realize that current practices discourage their participation. This session introduces School-Based Father Engagement as a practical way to expand support for students while honoring all family structures, including those without an active father figure. Participants will explore common barriers, communication challenges, and trauma-aware strategies, and leave with practical steps to strengthen partnerships and improve student outcomes.