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.

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.