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

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.