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

Elementary

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

Join us for a dynamic, hands-on session that brings social-emotional learning to life! Explore engaging, student-centered activities using interactive SEL tools designed to build self-awareness, empathy, and positive decision-making. Participants will experience ready-to-use strategies that foster meaningful conversations and real-world connections. Walk away with practical ideas and resources that make SEL impactful, memorable, and easy to implement in any learning environment.

Elementary/Middle

All Levels

Inspired by my 80’s childhood and, more recently, the Let Grow Project, I have begun to incorporate lessons on Independence into my school counseling curriculum. Today’s students, overscheduled and over-fearful, are showing up to school more anxious and depressed than previous populations. The disruptions of COVID only exacerbated the problem. However, encouraging reasonable independence and conquering challenges adult-free can lead to increased resilience. Boldly go!

All Levels

All Levels

This session equips school counselors to build awareness of self-harm and suicidal ideation while addressing stigma, bullying, and school avoidance through student, parent, and school perspectives. Participants will gain practical, non-clinical strategies to foster empathy, strengthen family-school collaboration, and create inclusive environments that support early intervention. Emphasis is placed on understanding the parent experience, reducing relational aggression, and helping counselors move beyond crisis response toward proactive, culture-shifting practices that promote belonging and student well-being.

Middle/High School

All Levels

This session provides school counselors with practical strategies to support students who are struggling with problematic digital media use. Presenters will share information on current trends, policy developments, and school-based concerns related to problematic digital media use among children and adolescents and outline several research-informed interventions and implementation strategies to promote healthier technology habits among middle and high school students.

High School

New Counselor/Graduate Student

This presentation will provide public high school counselors with practical strategies for running effective small groups. Participants will learn how small group interventions can target specific student needs such as anxiety and stress management coping skills, study skills, academic motivation, grief, and social skills.

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

School Administrator

Our session would primarly be focused on educating school staff and admin on how they can better support their undocumented youth in pursuing higher education or GED programs. We would also focus on educating teachers on current political policies affecting undocumented students.

Elementary/Middle

All Levels

This session will focus on the various digital tools and resources counselors can use to support students' academic, emotional, and social development. The goal is to empower counselors with the knowledge and skills to integrate technology into their counseling practices in ways that enhance student engagement, mental health support, and overall well-being.

All Levels

All Levels

This presentation is student focused and is applicable to all levels. It focuses on the growing mental health concerns and challenges for children as well as adults dealing with anxiety, depression, and stress due to school related concerns, social media, television, family issues, etc. that students are regularly exposed to in today's world. Presenters will also address the critcal role that schools play in early warning signs and providing support and resources.

All Levels

Middle/High School

All Levels

All Levels

Many schools struggle not because students lack support, but because emotional patterns go unseen until behaviors escalate. This session introduces a practical framework for identifying and responding to student emotional states in real time, helping counselors move from reactive to proactive support. Participants will learn how to build simple systems for emotional visibility, improve intervention timing, and strengthen overall school culture.

All Levels

Middle/High School

School counselors are architects of the future, yet we navigate a landscape where society targets students for harm. Providing empowerment and advocating for Black, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ youth are our critical and ethical mandates. This session moves beyond the "why" to the "how" of inclusive practice. We will explore a framework—from ethical positioning and systemic advocacy to vital self-compassion—ensuring we move from passive observation to intentional, transformative action for every marginalized student.

All Levels

All Levels

School counselors are essential to student success, yet many operate under sustained stress that impacts their effectiveness. This session equips counselors with practical, research-informed strategies to address burnout, strengthen emotional resilience, and enhance communication. Grounded in the ThriveWell Leadership Resilience Framework™, participants will explore a holistic wellness approach that supports sustainable leadership, improves school climate, and empowers counselors to make a lasting imprint on future generations.

All Levels

All Levels

Students become disengaged long before they disappear from school systems. This session equips counselors at all levels with innovative strategies to identify early warning signs, restore student belonging, and redesign pathways toward academic and career success. Using Georgia’s Dual Achievement and Career Plus High School models as guiding examples, participants will explore flexible, workforce-connected, and identity-centered approaches that can be adapted across school settings to transform disengagement into direction and long-term opportunity.

Middle

Middle/High School

Middle school is a crucial time to spark curiosity about future college and career pathways. This interactive session will highlight engaging, practical strategies school counselors can use to help students explore their interests and career possibilities. Attendees will leave with ready‑to‑use ideas and resources that increase student engagement, build confidence and communication skills, and help middle schoolers begin envisioning their future pathways.

Middle/High School

Elementary

Helping students is rewarding, but burnout—feeling tired, numb, or snippy—are real threats. It is possible to avoid either drowning or becoming callous! Drawing from 25 years as a counselor and 40 as an educator, I remain energized and passionate. Join us to discover practical strategies that move beyond tired clichés like "self-care," “your oxygen mask first,” "remember your ‘why’." This session offers actionable approaches designed for counselors at any stage of their career.

All Levels

All Levels

For the past 15 years, our kids have been the guinea pigs in a vast social experiment being conducted by big tech. Online games, social media, chat rooms, and most recently AI, have dramatically changed how children interact and learn, and the fallout is abundant. This session equips participants with information, practical action steps, and prevention resources to support student well-being while strengthening learning and safety.

All Levels

All Levels

Oppositional Defiant Disorder is one of the most disruptive behavioral and emotional patterns. When students refuse to cooperate, whether passively or actively, it is extremely worrisome for the teacher and other school staff, and it often interrupts the day for others, including students. This session will look at what is behind the development of ODD, and what tends to increase or decrease the patterns of disruption and defiance.

Middle/High School

School Administrator

Is vaping an issue in your hallways/bathrooms/classrooms? Escaping Vaping for Teens is a gamified curriculum where students "level up" to learn the dangers of vaping, nefarious marketing techniques used by big tobacco, and skills to fight peer pressure and quit vaping. The EV Student Advisory Board encourages advocacy and leadership skills for selected students. Flexible, turn-key, interactive, and FREE, Escaping Vaping for Teens is the tool you need to meet GADOE standards for tobacco education.

High School

School Administrator

• Learn how Lanier High School provides guidance and support to students who are the first in their family to graduate or attend college.This session will cover first generation initiatives,best practices, potential partnerships and exploring resources through the lens of college and career readiness, as well as how to start a First Gen chapter at your school.

Middle/High School

School Administrator

What if high school transition started before the first day of 9th grade? This session introduces a proactive, July-launched model centered on a dynamic Parent Retreat for rising 8th grade families. Through a year-long plan featuring parent learning sessions, transparent data sharing (PSAT, MAP, EOC, final exams), and intentional advisement, counselors will learn how to transform parent engagement into true partnership. Walk away with a framework that strengthens communication, builds community, and drives student achievement.

All Levels

All Levels

All Levels

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

The road ahead for school counselors runs straight through institutional politics. This session draws from equity-driven leadership research to help counselors understand their school’s power dynamics, partner interests, and organizational culture, and use that knowledge strategically to imprint the road ahead for student wellbeing and success. Participants will leave with concrete tools for navigating politics without compromising their values.

High School

School Administrator

As dual enrollment (DE) participation continues to surge in Georgia, school counselors need clear systems to manage the process from start to finish. This session highlights best practices for organizing, communicating, and implementing DE procedures from a high school supporting over 400 DE students. Learn how to effectively promote your DE program, streamline onboarding, and maintain accurate DE records. Attendees will leave with practical tools, templates, and strategies to confidently manage high-volume DE programs.

Middle/High School

Elementary

This session focused on understanding Generation Alpha and how their digital upbringing impacts learning, behavior, and social-emotional development. Participants explored key traits such as tech dependence, curiosity, and social awareness, along with challenges like attention span and emotional regulation.

The session provided practical strategies for parents and schools, including setting healthy technology boundaries, building emotional skills, and encouraging positive social interactions. Emphasis was placed on strong school-family partnerships to support student success and well-being.

Elementary

New Counselor/Graduate Student

Make an imprint on future generations with BOOKS! It's YEAR 28 of school counselors using fantastic children’s literature to enhance our counseling programs! The self-proclaimed President of Book-A-Holics Anonymous is back to bring you dozens of children’s books and ideas for using them in your counseling program in this practical and fast-paced workshop! With a complete bibliography of books arranged by subject, you will leave with LOTS of ways to become a Book-A-Holic yourself!

All Levels

All Levels

School counselors play a vital role in shaping school culture through both systems and relationships. This session explores how counselors can serve as culture architects by leading PBIS, attendance, and SEL initiatives while fostering strong family and student connections. Participants will learn how to use data-driven practices alongside relationship-centered strategies to improve student outcomes, increase engagement, and build a positive, sustainable school climate that prepares students for long-term success.

All Levels

All Levels

This session invites participants into a deeply personal journey of coming to terms with identity, silence, and self‑acceptance. Through honest storytelling, counselors will gain insight into the emotional realities many LGBTQ students navigate daily. By connecting lived experience with the power of visibility, the session encourages counselors to create spaces where students feel seen, valued, and safe to be themselves, strengthening advocacy rooted in empathy and human connection.

New Counselor/Graduate Student

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

You earned the degree, but no one handed you the playbook. This session fills in the gaps. The first year as a school counselor can feel overwhelming and far different from graduate preparation. This session offers a candid look at what new counselors really need to know to survive and thrive. Participants will gain practical tools, mindset shifts, and organizational strategies to navigate uncertainty, build confidence, and establish a strong foundation for long-term success.

Middle

School Administrator

Are your students uninterested in planning for their futures? Do you need ideas about how to expose students to post-secondary education, skills, and career pathways? With the use of college and career platform data, counselors will learn the playbook for maximizing students' post-secondary aptitude. This session will also feature a locker room tour (resource toolkit), courtside interviews (student feedback), and a camp on how to full-court press for success (stakeholder involvement).

Middle

Middle

This session equips school professionals with practical strategies for small group counseling to support students with ADHD and executive functioning challenges. Participants will explore how self-regulation impacts attention, behavior, and academic performance, while gaining ready-to-use group activities to improve focus, manage emotions, and build independence. Through real-world examples and targeted interventions, attendees will leave prepared to “regulate to elevate” student outcomes within small group counseling settings.

New Counselor/Graduate Student

Nearing Retirement/Retired

Due to the nature and complexity of school counseling work in P-12, professional school counselors will often find themselves working alone. Even when surrounded by other professional, caring educational staff, the professional school counselor may feel isolated. Building off solitude and aloneness research, this session explores differences between unhealthy isolation and healthy solitude as experienced by professional school counselors. The session will explore indicators and strategies for finding and maintaining a healthy balance.

Middle/High School

All Levels

This interactive session equips school counselors with practical strategies to support middle and high school students in postsecondary exposure, awareness, and planning through a more student-centered lens. Moving beyond GPA and test scores, participants will explore the concept of student imprint—each student’s unique strengths, experiences, leadership, and readiness. Counselors will gain actionable tools such as digital portfolios, reflective storytelling, and community-connected experiences to help students build confidence and prepare for success beyond high school.

All Levels

All Levels

Kids today face a cortisol crisis—stress hormones hijacking their brains, from playground meltdowns to TikTok spirals. In this engaging workshop, Steph Jensen, author of Brainwashed, unpacks cortisol’s role in child development and equips attendees with five practical SEL keys—Capable, Confident, Construct, Connect, and Contribute—to transform stress into resilience. Drawing from real stories and accessible brain science, we’ll explore how cortisol drives fight-flight-freeze reactions and how chronic stress impacts learning, behavior, and identity.

High School

Middle/High School

All Levels

All Levels

School counselors are uniquely positioned to implement interventions that can deliver positive outcomes for students. They can serve as agents of advocacy, equity and change when they intentionally design their counseling curriculum to address social-emotional skill development. Such advocacy can reduce negative student consequences like repeated disciplinary referrals, introduction to the school-to-prison pipeline, or dropping out of school. Participants will explore advocacy-centered counseling practices that promote student voice, belonging, and opportunity through intentional curriculum planning.

All Levels

All Levels

Educators can create inclusive cultures where leadership is a skill developed in everyone, rather than a reward for the few by de-centering the "model student." Traditional student leadership models often reward high-achieving students or the "top 20%”. This session challenges that notion by focusing on the "other 80%." This session will explore strategies to empower educators to see their students untapped potential.

Elementary/Middle

Middle

Participants will receive information from start to finish for a two day classroom lesson for upper elementary / middle levels on managing emotions and coping skills. Materials will be provided so the lesson could easily be implemented in particpant's schools. Presenters will share how they used these lessons when successfully applying for RAMP.

High School

Middle

Chronic absenteeism continues to impact student academic success, school engagement, and long-term outcomes. School counselors play a critical role in developing proactive and creative strategies that encourage students to attend school consistently. This presentation will highlight several attendance initiatives implemented in rural high school settings to increase student motivation, build school culture, and reduce tardiness and absenteeism.

All Levels

All Levels

This session, led by an art educator/school counselor, blends creative expression with mindful reflection to support counselor self‑care. Through hands‑on art‑based activities, participants will explore accessible ways to reduce stress, restore emotional balance, and reconnect with their creative skills. The session highlights how engaging with creativity fosters grounding, clarity, resilience, and renewal. Counselors will leave with meaningful practices that sustain well‑being and strengthen their capacity to support students with compassion and empathy.

Elementary

Elementary/Middle

Looking for fresh ideas to make a big impact? School-wide events have the power to make a lasting imprint on all students. From Kindness Week to College and Career Week, after-school clubs to playful recess interventions, this session will share creative ways to engage and inspire students in your school. Attendees will walk away with ready-to-use plans that will empower students as leaders, promote a sense of belonging, and make an imprint on future generations.

All Levels

Middle

In our role, counselors are aware of the darkness faced by students and school communities. We often serve as a powerful yet limited lightsource that leaves a positive imprint on our interactions. We risk burnout when we fail to acknowledge that imprinting is reciprocal. We increase our odds of sparking hope and systemic change with healthy boundaries that empower us to inspire, relate, and leverage comprehensive school counseling programs that increase life-readiness by closing gaps.

All Levels

All Levels

Join us as we introduce you to what motivational interviewing is, why it might be beneficial to use in your own practice, and different ways to utilize it. Whether this is the first you are hearing of it, or you have began to dabble in it on your own, join us as we explore its impact in all education settings.

High School

All Levels

Newcomer students face unique challenges in the pursuit of graduation. The presenters include a high school counselor and the Community Outreach Coordinator of U-Lead Athens. This session will discuss a group intervention provided to 10th and 11th grade recently arrived students who have exited the district newcomer academy. We will discuss resources for immigrant students and examine the efficacy of the intervention. Presenters and participants will discuss ways to adapt the intervention for their schools.

All Levels

School Administrator

This presentation focuses on different types of grief and loss. It will identify ways to support students for both death and non-death losses. Additionally, it will provide interventions and resources across K-12 for school counselors to utilize with students and their families.

All Levels

All Levels

What if the most lasting imprint we leave on students isn’t what we teach but how we connect? In this session, discover how hope becomes the bridge between connection and change. Learn how to intentionally shape student mindsets, build resilience, and spark motivation through strategies that stick. This isn’t just about inspiring students it’s about creating experiences that leave a lasting imprint on who they believe they are and who they can become.

Elementary

Middle

Children who grow up in high-conflict homes often carry invisible emotional burdens into school. This session uses the original children’s book What They Don’t See to explore how child-centered storytelling can help students express fear, confusion, divided loyalty, and hidden stress. School counselors will learn trauma-sensitive language, bibliotherapy techniques, and practical strategies to help students feel seen, safe, and supported.

All Levels

All Levels

This session will provide best practices in managing your school counseling program based on the ASCA National Model. Participants will leave with strategies for successful program maintenance and development.

All Levels

School Administrator

This session highlights the development and implementation of a districtwide comprehensive school counseling program (CSCP) aligned with the ASCA National Model. Participants will learn how to apply strategies and interventions that support and strengthen CSCP programs that align with ASCA Core Expectations of promoting equity and ensuring consistent, data-informed services across schools. Presenters will share strategies for leveraging leadership, collaboration, and accountability to support student academic achievement, social/emotional development, and college and career readiness.

Middle/High School

School Administrator

Middle/High School

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

School counsleors frequently address behavior, peer conflict, and emotional dysregulation without a structured framework for teaching decision-making skills. This session introduces a practical, repeatable approch that helps students build emotional awareness, set boundaries, and make intentional choices. Participants will experience model activities and leave with ready-to-use strategies that can be implemented in classroom lessons, small grouos, and individual student support.

New Counselor/Graduate Student

All Levels

Graduate programs prepare school counselors with theory, but the realities of the profession require additional skills. This session explores critical gaps between training and practice, including managing emotional demands, responding to crises, and navigating complex school dynamics. Participants will gain practical, real-world strategies to strengthen their effectiveness in supporting students’ social-emotional and mental health needs. Attendees will also reflect on their purpose and leave equipped to make a lasting impact on student lives.

All Levels

All Levels

Across the country, counselors are seeing the effects of social media on student attention, behavior, and mental health long before the first bell rings. Yet common responses—phone bans and monitoring software—fail to address the root cause: engagement technologies designed to capture attention. This session explores how these systems shape student behavior and how counselors can support by focusing on prevention and behavior change, building student agency to develop healthier habits from within.

All Levels

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

Participants will apply 4 of the 7 Leader in Me Habits to strengthen advocacy and leadership. Before the end of training, school counselors will identify proactive practices, prioritize high-impact counseling work, and use win-win communication strategies to support student success and professional boundaries.

All Levels

All Levels

Students today face increasing academic, social, and emotional pressures—and often look to school counselors to solve problems for them. This session reframes that role through the Let Them Theory, helping counselors balance support with student independence. Learn how to foster resilience, strengthen decision-making skills, and build authentic connections by knowing when to step in and when to step back. Walk away with practical, student-centered strategies that empower growth while reducing counselor burnout.

Middle/High School

Elementary

Move beyond "one-size-fits-all" packages to create interventions that truly resonate. This session introduces a diverse resource matrix designed to deepen impact by anchoring support in a student’s unique values and sources of meaning. Participants will learn to leverage internal strengths and explicit belief systems to design personalized strategies. Join us to explore how shifting from prescribed protocols to meaning-based design can leave a permanent, positive imprint on every student’s educational journey.

All Levels

All Levels

In this session, presenters share real one-page results reports from school counseling interventions that demonstrate how increased direct service to students improves outcomes. Participants will learn how to create flashlight reports, analyze results, and use data as an advocacy tool with administrators. The presentation highlights how sharing data in concise ways can support role clarity, expand student access to counseling services, and reduce non-counseling duties.

High School

All Levels

This session will highlight how rising 9th-grade tours create meaningful early "imprints" on students by fostering active engagement, reducing transition anxiety, and supporting developmental needs. With a focus on experiential learning and responsive environments, this session will demonstrate how intentional matriculation activities help students build confidence, connection, and readiness for high school, ultimately shaping stronger pathways for future generations.

Elementary

School Administrator

This interactive workshop equips elementary school counselors with a practical, step-by-step framework for designing, coordinating, and delivering a meaningful Career Day experience. Participants leave with ready-to-use tools, templates, and a phased planning roadmap they can implement immediately at their schools.

All Levels

All Levels

Are your students equipped with tools to thrive inside and outside the classroom? Explore how school counselors can shape resilient, emotionally healthy students through intentional SEL and mental health practices. This session highlights practical, evidence-based interventions that promote emotional regulation, coping skills, and overall well-being across K–12 settings. Participants will gain ready-to-use strategies, culturally responsive approaches, and tools to strengthen school-wide SEL efforts, improve student outcomes, and make a lasting impact on future generations.

All Levels

All Levels

Middle

New Counselor/Graduate Student

Middle school is a critical time for building self-awareness, communication, and self-advocacy skills that support future academic and career success. This session will provide school counselors with practical strategies and engaging activities, including role-play, communication prompts, digital portfolios, and student-led goal setting, to help students recognize strengths, express needs, and seek support. Participants will leave with ready-to-use tools that increase confidence, engagement, and informed career pathway exploration before high school.

High School

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

With 25 colleges and universities across the state, the University System of Georgia (USG) provides a wide range of opportunities for students to participate in dual enrollment while in high school and to continue their education after high school graduation. Join this session to learn more about the USG, our resources that can help empower students and their families to make informed decisions about theirpostsecondary education in Georgia, and what's new in 2026.

All Levels

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

Black girls are often perceived by society as more mature, less innocent, and more responsible for their behavior than their peers. This leads to disproportionate discipline practices, reduced protection, and enduring intrapersonal harm. Grounded in qualitative hermeneutic research, this session centers Black girls' lived experiences and voices to examine how adultification manifests in educational settings. Participants will learn practical, school-driven strategies to reduce biases, foster belonging, and advocate for developmentally appropriate, cultually responsive support.

All Levels

All Levels

This session focuses on embedding equity into school systems to ensure all students have access to meaningful opportunities and support. Participants will examine systemic barriers, distinguish equity from equality, and explore practical strategies for creating inclusive, student-centered practices. Emphasis is placed on intentional decision-making, collaboration, and data-informed approaches that promote belonging, access, and improved student outcomes.

New Counselor/Graduate Student

Elementary/Middle

New school counselors often feel pressure to prove themselves through overworking, overextending, and saying yes to everything. This empowering session helps early-career counselors build confidence, demonstrate impact through data, advocate for their role, and establish healthy boundaries. Participants will gain practical strategies to lead with purpose, strengthen school climate and culture, and create lasting impact without sacrificing their well-being or professional identity.

All Levels

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

School counselors are often praised for being “nice,” but what happens when being nice limits advocacy for students? This session introduces “Nice Counselor Syndrome” and challenges counselors to shift from comfort-based responses to student-centered, ethical action. Through real school scenarios and practical strategies, participants will learn how to navigate difficult conversations, advocate within systems, and make a lasting imprint on students through intentional, equity-driven practice.

Middle/High School

Middle/High School

In this session, participants will engage in experiential learning activities from the Tiger Leadership Academy and explore a train-the-trainer model that bridges leadership development from middle to high school. Attendees will leave with practical strategies for building intentional partnerships, designing student-led learning experiences, and creating clear pathways from leadership concepts to application and deliverables.

Middle/High School

All Levels

Attendance is not a full representation of student engagement. But it is a great place to start. Learn how to ethically incorporate Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other tech tools to augment conversations about attendance with your students and other stakeholders. This session will help you integrate technology into your counseling work to bring clarity to communications, develop new insights about attendance, and open up time in your counseling schedule.

All Levels

School Administrator

Effective crisis response includes both immediate emotional support and intentional planning for emotional recovery. School counselors play a key role across both phases, yet many have limited formal training. This session provides a high-level overview of how to respond in the moment, recognize and normalize reactions, and support ongoing needs. Designed for varying experience levels, participants will gain practical guidance to respond with confidence and continue supporting students and staff in the weeks that follow.

All Levels

All Levels

School counselors are on the front lines of student mental health. This interactive session equips participants with practical, ready-to-use strategies to support students experiencing anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and disengagement. Through real-life scenarios and hands-on practice, attendees will learn brief, effective interventions, de-escalation techniques, and SEL tools they can implement immediately. Participants will leave with a personalized action plan and resources to create lasting, meaningful impacts on student well-being and success.

High School

All Levels

Has your multilingual student population been growing? Are you limited on the time, people, funds, and/or ideas to support their flourishing?

Join us for a presentation & brainstorming session on using the resources already at your disposal (ex. students!) to create an accessible environment for ML families.

FEATURING: Multilingual Parent Night curriculum, mentoring for students exiting the ML program, first-generation small group curriculum, and more!

All Levels

All Levels

School counselors leave lasting impressions that extend far beyond graduation. Through advocacy, relationship-building, social-emotional support, and academic guidance, counselors help students discover their strengths, overcome challenges, and envision successful futures.

This presentation highlights innovative counseling strategies, student-centered practices, and collaborative approaches that empower students academically, socially, and emotionally. Participants will explore practical tools and engaging resources from GPB and PBS designed to strengthen student support systems and promote meaningful, lasting impact in schools and communities

All Levels

All Levels

Discover how AI tools from Microsoft and Google platforms can streamline school counseling tasks, enhance communication, assist with academic and career planning, and support data-driven decision-making. This session will explore practical, ethical, and creative ways counselors can use AI to save time, reduce burnout, and increase impact. Attendees will leave with real-world examples and strategies for integrating AI into their daily work to better serve students, families, and school communities.

Elementary

Elementary

As school counselors, we perpetually dash from one activity to another, striving to meet the diverse needs of our students. Yet, maintaining a toolbox brimming with captivating activities can prove challenging. Fear not! Join seasoned school counselors who will generously share a treasure trove of effective, ready-to-go activities. These gems can seamlessly enhance your classroom lessons, invigorate small group sessions, enrich individual counseling, and empower your peer leader programs.

Middle

School Administrator

Students often show warning signs before experiencing academic, behavioral, or mental health crises, yet these indicators are frequently overlooked. This session equips middle and high school counselors with practical strategies to identify early warning signs and implement proactive, tiered systems of support. Participants will learn how to strengthen schoolwide responses, collaborate with stakeholders, and intervene early to improve student outcomes, reduce escalation, and create lasting impact on student success and well-being.

Elementary/Middle

Elementary

Discover practical, timesaving strategies that help school counselors make a lasting imprint on future generations. This session provides smart, efficient tools to strengthen attendance initiatives, streamline student support, organizational help, and deliver impactful classroom lessons. Participants will leave with ready to use resources and innovative approaches designed to increase effectiveness—empowering counselors to work smarter, not harder, while maximizing their positive impact on students presented in a quick “speed dating” fashion.

Elementary/Middle

School Administrator

Is HB123 consuming all your time? Tired of unsuccessful attendance interventions? Learn how to garner support from administration and implement a schoolwide and targeted program that is NOT the sole responsibility of the counselor. Leave with ideas and resources to implement right away.

High School

School Administrator

All Levels

New Counselor/Graduate Student

This session provides school counselors with a clear roadmap to LPC licensure in Georgia while emphasizing how this growth strengthens their imprint on future generations. Presented by a recently fully licensed school counselor and an experienced supervisor of both school counselors and mental health therapists, the session offers practical steps, supervision insights, and real-world guidance to navigate the process, expand clinical skills, and deepen impact on student social/emotional learning and long-term success.

Middle/High School

All Levels

This session helps school counselors better understand how trauma, incarceration, family separation, and systemic harm impact students’ sense of safety, identity, and belonging. Using a relational and strengths-based lens, participants will explore practical ways to support healing, trust-building, emotional regulation, and student connection in schools while honoring resilience, dignity, and lived experience.

All Levels

All Levels

School counselors make a lasting imprint on future generations by empowering students academically, socially, and emotionally. This session explores innovative, equity-centered counseling strategies that promote student resilience, leadership, and self-advocacy. Participants will examine practical approaches to academic planning, social-emotional learning, and family and community collaboration. Attendees will leave with actionable tools and ideas to strengthen comprehensive counseling programs and positively impact student outcomes across diverse school communities.

All Levels

All Levels

School counselors are uniquely positioned to shape students’ social, emotional, and academic growth. This interactive session introduces sandtray interventions as a developmentally appropriate, evidence-informed approach to support student success. Participants will learn how sandtray fosters emotional regulation, resilience, and self-expression, especially for students who struggle verbally. Through practical strategies and real-world examples, counselors will gain tools to support diverse learners, address mental health needs, and create meaningful, student-centered experiences that leave a lasting impact.

All Levels

New Counselor/Graduate Student

Have you ever struggled to advocate for your role in your building? Or perhaps you’ve experienced frustration or burn out when confronting ongoing challenges and barriers. School Counselors are uniquely positioned to be leaders in schools, though we’re not always recognized as such. When this happens it can negatively impact our ability to advocate effectively for our students. Join us as we discuss tangible ways to advocate for yourself and your program.

New Counselor/Graduate Student

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

Polé Polé — Building Resilience That Lasts In this powerful and practical session, Tia Banks introduces educators and school leaders to her signature Polé Polé® Framework, a resilience-based approach designed to help individuals and institutions move forward with clarity, ownership, connection, and purpose. Polé Polé, meaning “slowly, steadily, and with intention,” guides educators through four essential resilience skills needed to thrive in today’s educational landscape.

Elementary

New Counselor/Graduate Student

A fast-paced, practical session that shows counselors how to transform familiar classroom games into engaging Zones of Regulation activities students love. Participants will learn how to use gameplay to spark connection, build emotional awareness, and bring Zones concepts to life in a fun, low-prep way. Attendees will leave with ideas for game-based activities and simple strategies they can use in classroom lessons, small groups, or share with staff to support consistent, schoolwide implementation.

All Levels

All Levels

Daily stress experienced by students, school personnel, and families can have a significant impact on the well-being of individuals in school communities. School counselors can leave an imprint on future generations by creating programs and services that focus on social emotional learning and wellness. This program will address social emotional learning and wellness initiatives that school counselors, district personnel, and counselor educators can implement to improve the well-being of their school communities.

All Levels

All Levels

School counselors and clinicians both play vital roles in supporting student well-being; misalignment can lead to fragmented care and inconsistent Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) practices. This session examines the impact of disconnected systems on student outcomes and explores how aligning clinical insight with school-based practices improves emotional regulation, engagement, and success. Through discussion, reflection, and application, participants will learn to strengthen collaboration, improve communication, and implement cohesive strategies across school, home, and community settings.

All Levels

New Counselor/Graduate Student

Are you struggling to collaborate and consult effectively with other student support colleagues to support your school counseling program and students? Do your roles seem to overlap, leaving little clarity about your identity as a school counselor?

Join us to learn how to improve collaboration, clarify roles, and create a unified approach to supporting students. Learn how to maximize the impact of your school counseling program and students through teamwork and shared commitments.

All Levels

Counselor Educator/Supervisor

Join me for an engaging session that will display the power of mentoring through Bow Tie Boys’ Club (BBC). Together we will explore the components of developing a mentoring program and the connection to the components of Social Emotional Learning (SEL). Participants will navigate the benefits of developing a mentoring program and becoming a mentor, explore the “why”, systematically setting up a program and developing their own unique sense of purpose.

All Levels

All Levels

Explore how educator wellness directly shapes school culture in this interactive session. By understanding the "ripple effect" of emotional regulation and thought patterns, participants will learn to preserve creative energy and resilience. Attendees will walk away with practical mindfulness tools and a takeaway toolkit designed to protect well-being. Invest in your health to build a stronger school ecosystem.

New Counselor/Graduate Student

All Levels

This session is designed to help new school counselors use Google Suite tools to build an organized, efficient, and student-centered counseling program. Participants will explore how tools such as Google Drive, Docs, Forms, Sheets, Slides, Calendar, and Gmail can streamline daily tasks, simplify data collection, and support program management. Attendees will learn time-saving strategies, digital organization systems, and creative ways to deliver counseling services, track student needs, schedule appointments, and collaborate with staff and families.

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

All Levels

The goal of this workshop is to equip participants who work with students with a deeper understanding of how the brain functions in relation to resilience and emotional well-being. Participants will learn practical, brain-based strategies for fostering resilience in students, including tools for enhancing social-emotional learning (SEL), emotion regulation, and coping skills. They will leave with a toolkit of age-appropriate interventions and activities that can be implemented to support students’ emotional growth and resilience.

Middle/High School

Middle

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

School Administrator

School counselors are often the first to identify and support students affected by trauma and abuse. While they provide essential emotional and academic guidance, partnering with community organizations strengthens a student’s sense of safety and empowerment. Bikers Against Child Abuse works to create a safer environment by helping children feel protected and supported. These collaborations leave a lasting imprint, rebuilding confidence, reducing fear, and helping students more fully engage and succeed in school

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.