Aperture Education has empowered over 6,500 schools and out-of-school time programs across North America to measure, strengthen, and support social and emotional competence in K-12 youth and educators. The Aperture System includes the DESSA suite of strength-based assessments, CASEL™ aligned intervention strategies, and robust reporting, all in one easy-to-use digital platform. This system enables education leaders to make strategic, data-based decisions about SEL within their organizations.
For more information please contact Ashley Cook, Partnership Manager at acook@apertureed.com.
The College Funding Coach® was founded in 2002 to teach parents how to EFFICIENTLY pay for college without destroying their retirement nest egg! The College Funding Coach is the only national organization brought into elementary, middle, and high schools to teach parents how to pay for college without going broke! For 20 years, The College Funding Coach has worked with counselors and school administrators across the country, educating parents through our nationally acclaimed free parent workshop, “Little Known Secrets of Paying for College. With significant changes to the FAFSA and the reduction of financial aid at many colleges and universities, The College Funding Coach has never been more needed for parents looking to reduce their out-of-pocket costs for their children’s college education.
For more information contact Demetrius Doss at ddoss@thecollegefundingcoach.org or at 703.340.6911.
DialCare is a virtual and telephonic counseling service. You can give your students ages 11 and older access to mental health assistance no matter where they are. Members can use their phone, tablet or computer for sessions with mental health professionals from the comfort of their home or on the go. Let our mental health professionals help give you peace of mind.
For more information contact Becca Bean, Assistant Vice President at beccab@dialcare.com.
The Gatton Academy of Mathematics and Science is Kentucky’s first residential 2-year STEM program for gifted and talented juniors and seniors. Established in 2007, students enroll as juniors and are full-time WKU students pursuing their interests in advanced science, technology, engineering, and mathematical careers, all while receiving a full scholarship for their room and board, tuition, and meals.
For more information contact Melanie Redden, Office Coordinator at academy@wku.edu or (270) 745-6565.
The IKORCC is dedicated to providing training and opportunities for any person interested in a career in the Carpentry, Millwright or Floorcovering trades. Our 4-year apprenticeship program ends with a Journeyperson Card and an Associate’s Degree. Do your students participate in a CTE Carpentry or Welding program? They can take advantage of our blanket articulation agreement with the KDE, which allows for up to 1 year of previous credit in our Registered Apprenticeship Program at one of our 3 training centers that serve Kentucky. Check us out at www.ikorcctraining.com. We can’t wait to see you or meet you in September!
For more information please contact Hope Harp, Outreach Specialist, at hharp@ikorccjatf.org or at 502.889.1677.
Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA) has a mission to improve students’ access to postsecondary education. For over half a century, KHEAA has enhanced the educational opportunities available to Kentucky students by administering state financial aid programs and providing Kentuckians with services and information about higher education. KHEAA’s Outreach service is vital in fulfilling the agency’s mission and helping students and families plan, prepare and pay for college.
For more information please contact Kim Dolan, Director of Outreach Services, at kdolan@keaa.com or at 502.759.1776.
Enlisting in the National Guard means more time at home. Training typically requires one weekend each month, with a two-week training period once each year. Soldiers can get a college degree, learn job skills that translate to the civilian world and make bonds that last a lifetime all while serving part-time close to home. The Kentucky Army National Guard can also pay for students’ college tuition to KY State Colleges and Universities. Live Here. Serve Here. Learn Here.
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With RV sales increasing and more and more Americans taking to the road to enjoy the outdoor lifestyle, skilled RV technicians are in high demand. The RV Technical Institute’s hands-on training and instruction, created by top RV industry experts, provides the experience and expertise needed by manufacturers, dealerships and repair shops nationwide.
For more information please contact Curt Hemmeler, Executive Director, via email at rvti-info@rvti.org or at 800.664.0154.
SCUTA is used by school counselors and school districts to develop a data-driven, evidence based school counseling program. It follows the ASCA National Model® recommendations and offers confidential, comprehensive documentation and use of time analysis system. It is an invaluable tool for School Counselors who want to do best practice, keep accurate records and develop a data driven school counseling program.
School Counselors using SCUTA, have the ability to clearly illustrate the nature of their work and school needs with supervisors and stakeholders.
For more information please contact Kathy.
Hello! Thanks for checking out UPS! We offer an array of educational programs that cater to the need of your students post-secondary goals. With many of our programs including 100% tuition as well as Part-Time employment opportunities, and even our LOOP program offering a housing allowance – there is something for everyone! Please check out www.UPSjobsKY.com for more specific program information, Thank you for your time!
For more information please contact Mary Krauser, Talent Acquisition Specialist, via email mkrauser@ups.com or at 502.835.5471.
The U.S. Army provides state-of-the-art training in a multitude of career fields from Culinary to Aviation to Medical and Engineering to name a few. Learn about free education resources the Army offers to students and teachers. Connect with the Education Services representative who can provide presentations on these resources, Army benefits, and college/financial aid information to you, your parents, or your school!
For more information contact Ms. Abigail Murdock, Education Services Specialist at abigail.l.murdock.civ@mail.mil or at 615.289.138.
Xello is an engaging, online program that helps K-12 students define their future goals and transform their aspirations into actionable plans for success. The program puts students at the center of their college and career planning experience. It helps them build self-knowledge, explore their options, create a plan, and develop the 21st-century skills needed to thrive in the world of work.
Jessica Sinarski
Sherlyn Bratcher
Julia Cook
Molly Hudgens
The Pre-Conference Learning Sessions are an additional opportunity for more professional development and CEU contact hours. The sessions generally cover more in-depth information and allows more opportunity for discussion. These sessions are not included in the conference registration fee and have a minimal fee. Space is limited. Interested participants are encouraged to register early. Sessions run concurrently, so only one may be chosen.
Jessica Sinarski
Pre-Conference Session
September 14th | 2:00 p.m.
ABOUT THIS SESSION:
The weight of stress, worry, and trauma can have lasting impacts on both body and brain. This shows up in every area of school life – from the classroom to the lunchroom to the staff lounge! Take some time to dig into your backpack and learn strategies to set aside the “books” you’re not meant to carry. Participants will learn concrete tools for lightening the emotional load for staff and students. Trauma-expert and author Jessica Sinarski weaves in the latest brain science to make this inspirational session a lasting change-maker!
SPEAKER BIO:
Jessica Sinarski, LPCMH equips parents and professionals to be healers for hurting children. Weaving user-friendly brain science into everything she does, Jessica ignites both passion and know-how in audiences. Extensive post-graduate training and 15+ years as a clinician, consultant, and parent educator led her to create BraveBrains, a resource and training platform for home, school, and community. She is also the author of the Riley the Brave picture books and What’s Inside Your Backpack?
Jessica partners with school districts and child welfare agencies across the country to better incorporate effective trauma-sensitive practices into their work. She also shares her expertise as a contributor to magazines, blogs, and podcasts. When not writing and training, she continues to work as a bilingual therapist and clinical supervisor at an innovative adoption support agency.
Sherlyn Bratcher
Pre-Conference Session
September 14th | 2:00 p.m.
ABOUT THIS SESSION:
Scheduling, testing, IEP/504 meetings, supervising duties …. How do you find the time to counsel your students? Learn how to build your school counseling program with strategies for all tiers and levels, manage your time, organize your duties and responsibilities while also taking care of yourself and your staff. You may not leave knowing how to leap tall buildings with a single bound, but you will leave with strategies and tools to use as soon as you return to your school.
Julia Cook
Opening Keynote Session
September 15th | 8:30 a.m.
ABOUT THIS SESSION:
The most tragic thing a person can lose is their hope. Without hope, despair takes over. Without hope…a child becomes hopeless. Hopeless children don’t try, have poor relationships with others, and feel helpless. In terms of resilience and well-being, hope is a critically important predictor of success. Research tells us that by the time children are 10 years old, they have maximized the amount of hope instilled in their minds. This poses two very unique challenges for parents, teachers, and counselors…How do we help children increase their amount of hope prior to the age of 10, and how do we help them maximize their hope potential after the age of 10. In this research-based, humor infused keynote, Julia Cook explores the components of hope, discusses the results of the Hope Scale for Children, defines the differences between hope and optimism, and presents a blueprint for maximizing hope growth and potential in children, teens and adults.
“Hope is our children’s window for a better tomorrow!” Ready…Get “MIND SET”…GROW!
SPEAKER BIO:
Julia Cook, M.S. is a national award-winning children’s author, counselor, and parenting expert. She has presented in thousands of schools nationally and internationally, regularly speaks at education and counseling conferences, and has published almost one hundred children’s books on a wide range of character and social development topics. The goal behind Cook’s work is to actively involve young people in fun, memorable stories and teach them to become lifelong problem solvers. Inspiration for her books comes from working with children and carefully listening to counselors, parents, and teachers, in order to stay on top of needs in the classroom and at home. Cook has the innate ability to enter the worldview of a child through storybooks, giving children both the “what to say” and the “how to say it.”
Molly Hudgens
Awards Brunch Keynote Session
September 16th | 11:00 a.m.
ABOUT THIS SESSION:
Molly shares the story of how she prevented a school shooting on September 28, 2016. When a student with a fully-loaded semi-automatic handgun came to her with a plan to kill people on the school’s campus, he told her, “I came to you because you’re the only person who can talk me out of this.” After a ninety-minute intervention, the student relinquished the weapon to Hudgens with no shots fired and no lives lost. Hudgens’ retelling of the event walks the audience through the specifics of the incident that took place in her office and highlights previous training that affected her decision-making process during the event. Hudgens speaks boldly of her faith throughout and challenges those in attendance to remember that every human interaction matters and that one life can make a difference. Hudgens became the first Tennessean and only the tenth woman to become a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation’s Citizens Medal of Honor for her efforts that day.
SPEAKER BIO:
Molly Bradley Hudgens is a 1998 and 2000 graduate of Western Kentucky University with a bachelor of arts degree in English and Allied Language Arts and a master of arts education degree in counseling. She is currently completing her twenty-first year as an educator in the Cheatham County School System where she serves as a school counselor at Sycamore Middle School in Pleasant View, Tennessee.
After a personal experience in college, her interest in violence prevention and safety sparked a desire to educate others who work with intervening in the lives of potentially violent teenagers. Her in-depth study on school shootings and the teenagers who commit these acts, “Recognizing Red Flags,” has been utilized nationally to train professionals in the fields of education, law enforcement, juvenile probation, and juvenile court. The training focuses on understanding the three types of school shooters and how to use threat assessment tools as an intervention to prevent violent acts in a school and community setting.
Molly Hudgens will also be presenting a session titled The Best Plan You Hope to Never Use: Building a Crisis Plan.