November 14-15, 2022
Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center
100 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
November 14-15, 2022
Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center
100 W Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
November 14-15, 2022 | Radisson Plaza Hotel at Kalamazoo Center
100 W Michigan Ave | Kalamazoo, MI 49007
We look forward to having you join us at the Michigan School Counselor Association Conference!
Appropriate School Counselor Credentials, Certificate Renewals and Hiring
Lead Presenter: Beatrice Harrison
At the base of having a conference to address aspects of school counseling this forum should include pertinent information about appropriate credentialing of School Counselors, plus share notes on how to maintain a school counselor credential by fulfilling the requirements of the School Counselor Professional Development law, [MCL 380.1233 (6-8)]. Districts need to know who is considered appropriately certified for hiring purposes.
Fifteen Tips for New(er) Counselors: How to Jump-Start Your Career and Maximize Your Impact from the Start
Lead Presenter: Christopher Kasper
As a brand-new counselor, the so-called learning curve can often be steep. Many days can leave a new counselor wondering when they will ever get the full hang of the job. Doubt; feelings of inadequacy; and imposter syndrome tendencies can often rear their ugly heads on a seemingly daily basis. This presentation is meant to show action steps and belief systems that can propel a new counselor forward through their first several years on the job.
The Limitless Possibilities Provided Through Early Middle Colleges
Lead Presenter: Stacey Stover
The presentation will provide an overview of Early Middle Colleges (EMCs) in Michigan and address the role of high school counselors with EMCs. Attendees will learn about the benefits of EMCs and how to become part of an EMC team. The session will include EMC data and an overview of Career Technical Education (CTE) EMCs. Come find out how you can support students in pursing their Limitless Possibilities through both high school and college!
The Path to Educational Leadership
Lead Presenter: Tammy Jackson
There hasn’t ever been a need for strong leadership more than now. For multiple reasons, the past two years have been a time of insecurity and confusion for everyone, especially children. School is where they find safety and security. We must have strong leaders to ensure a school culture where all students feel safe and secure.
Residual Effects of a Pandemic
Lead Presenter: Robyn Emde
This presentation focuses on the implications of trauma that the pandemic has presented. A meta-analysis study conducted to know best practices for working with children post traumatic event. Specific ways that school counselors can work with students to enrich learning and social/emotional growth.
Rethinking EDPS: A Modern Look to Engage Students
Lead Presenter: Kasey Hagler
It is a hard truth that many current EDPs mirror decade-old delivery; however, in a world where adaptability has proven key, we should also flex for our students. We invite you to explore an innovative way of tackling EDPs in a highly mobile, readily visible, post-pandemic world. Develop living, dynamic EDPs that create relatable experiences for students, while they develop communication skills and explore their post-secondary options.
Supporting the Mental Health and Well-Being
of Students and Adults
Lead Presenter: Houston Kraft
With seemingly endless obstacles over the past three years, those in the field of education face increased stress and pressure. Our students are navigating increased mental health challenges. Conference keynote speaker Houston Kraft will share simple, but impactful ways to provide meaningful supports for student AND adult well-being to decrease anxiety and increase hope.
Brain & Behavior
Lead Presenter: Terri Pardee
Children and teens with developmental trauma/teratogen exposure are complex. A neurobiological lens will be used to understand signs and symptoms presenting in school-aged children/teens. Simple strategies to keep in mind when working with affected individuals and their families will be highlighted. The importance of relationships and sensory strategies in building neuro-regulation will also be considered.
Counselor Specific Evaluation
Lead Presenter: Jason Messenger
The Michigan School Counselor Performance Evaluation Tool is a counselor-specific evaluation. Overview and real example of how a principal and school counselor utilize this evaluation tool. Developed by the Michigan School Counselor Association; Reflects the ASCA National Model; The Michigan Department of Education endorsed the ASCA National Model on May 14, 2015.
Get Real
Lead Presenter: Teshia Stovall Dula
Join Teshia Dula, a 2022 ASCA School Counselor of the Year finalist, to authentically and honestly discuss multicultural differences. Let’s “spill the tea” and be real. Addressing our differences directly will allow us to get to our core business – supporting all students to be college and career ready. During this session, she will discuss creating safe spaces for candid inquiry, celebrate different approaches to conversations about multicultural differences with colleagues, students and families and Identify opportunities for school counseling program improvements around student advocacy.
High School Level Sharing Session
Lead Presenter: Christopher Kasper
Come join us for Q & A; share-outs of Best Practices; and a chance to check-in and see how everybody is doing so far for this school year!
Setting Students Up for Success: Advantages of a Co-op Education
Lead Presenter: Anna Devota
Learn about advantages of a co-op educational model for students looking to pursue careers in STEM. Discussion includes co-op vs internship, benefits of co-op learning, and how students can prepare now in high school. After a brief presentation, a panel discussion will include Co-op Employer Partner(s) & current student(s) to discuss trends they are seeing in high school graduates, co-op experiences, and why co-op is important to be successful.
Spark Career Curiosity with Xello for Elementary
Lead Presenter: Katey Wynneck
Is there such a thing as starting career development too early? When it comes to preparing for the future, the answer is NO! Join Xello in a session to discuss the benefits of exposing your youngest learners to concepts around career development. Learn how to engage students with specific in-program activities, missions, lessons, and supplementary activities in Xello for Elementary and support the SEL Competencies identified by the DPI.
Using MI Merit Curriculum (MMC) Flexibility to Promote Possibilities
Lead Presenter: Celena Mills
Connecting student passion with careers as part of academic planning leads to student engagement and higher graduation rates. Explore how the MMC flexibility options help students follow their passion, see the possibilities, and persevere to postsecondary learning. Learn more about updated legislation, integration of credits, waiver of credits, and transcript considerations to assist students with high school academic and career planning.
All Together for Computer Science Education!
Lead Presenter: Larry Wyn
We have a problem…according to Code.org, computing occupations are now the #1 source of new wages in America, but only 44% of high schools offer computer science (CS) courses in Michigan. We can work to solve this problem by defining CS, how it fits in the Michigan Merit Curriculum, helping students explore pathways to CS careers, and encouraging all students to try CS. Join this session to learn how you can help solve the CS problem.
Milestones in Advocacy
Lead Presenter: Betsy Kanagawa
Data-driven school counseling is at the heart of every comprehensive school counseling program. Knowing how to create student outcome goals, collect and disaggregate data and create interventions can be overwhelming. Learn about how we use data to drive and evaluate our program and reach several milestones such as becoming a Recognized ASCA Model Program and successfully advocating for additional counselors at three of our buildings.
Practical Strategies for Helping Students Develop Resilience
Lead Presenter: Christian Moore
How do you help students bounce back from what they have been through? From trauma, isolation, and poverty, to mental health challenges, our students have faced many obstacles over the last two years. Come see a formula to help you guide students through the challenges that destroy motivation and make it difficult to find success.
QPR
Lead Presenter: Ashley Kipp
QPR’s mission is to save lives and reduce suicidal behaviors by providing innovative, practical and proven suicide prevention training. We believe that quality education empowers all people, regardless of their background, to make a positive difference in the life of someone they know.
Real Careers, Real Talk!
Lead Presenter: Liz Jones
Come learn about Real Careers, Real Talk! A series of recorded interviews with local professionals about social emotional and essential skills, perseverance and overcoming obstacles, education/ training for specific occupations and opportunities with regional employers. Accompanying RCTC posters show the diverse range of workers and occupations in each of the 17 Michigan Career Clusters and highlight essential skills.
Using Early Awareness Strategies to Ignite Student Passion & Perseverance
Lead Presenter: Emily Hurtado-Arboleda
MI Student Aid is excited to announce a renewed effort in the area of early awareness. Join us for an engaging discussion on the State Financial Aid programs, and data available in our Web portal (MiSSG). We will also share best practices and explore additional MI Student Aid resources available to assist counselors and college access professionals in post-secondary early awareness efforts at your school.
Working with At-Risk Youth
Lead Presenter: Bethany Gravert
Working with At-Risk youth can pose unique challenges, especially in the school setting. In this session, we will explore some of those challenges and provide definable steps for moving forward.
6 Strategies for Building Strong Connections with Kids
Lead Presenter: Alisa Kaczorowski
Many of our children have experienced an uptick in trauma these past two years. It is critical that we recognize these stressors and adapt the environment to better meet the social-emotional needs of our children. In this session, attendees will learn 6 strategies for building stronger connections with kids, in order to help them build resilience and be more successful in both the home and school environments.
Alternatives to Traditional Education: Non-Baccalaureate STEM Career Pathways
Lead Presenter: Steve Coyle
Almost 50% of high school students are no longer considering Bachelor’s degrees, and more than 50% are
open to other career pathways. Yet 85% of students feel pressure to pursue a college degree! Join Dr. Coyle as he will focus on your students and how you can give them the information they need to make important career decisions. Learn how to get more of your female students involved in STEM careers. Learn how to get industry involved in your school and how to get parents
more engaged in your programs. Find out about new scholarship opportunities that will benefit your students.
Culture is Behavior: Positively Impacting Student and Staff Behavior in a Way That Sticks
Lead Presenter: Kat Pastor
Character development and social-emotional competencies are critical to preparing students for their civic, working, and private lives. How do we take these approaches out of the counseling office and into the daily fabric of the school by gaining staff buy-in? By thoughtfully combining SEL instruction and self-reflective tools with intentional character-based exercises, school counselors can be change agents of the professional learning happening in their school. We must provide staff with low-burden, high-impact strategies that begin with adult behavior change and end with a positive impact on the academic, social-emotional, and career development of our students. Come to this resource-packed session.
Kalamazoo RESA’s CAE Team Empowers Students With Financial Literacy K-12
Lead Presenter: Dawn Pincumbe
KRESA’s Career Awareness & Exploration Team believes strongly in financial literacy for ALL students K-12. See how we have been “weaving” the financial literacy thread in current programs & content areas. Session focus: CAE K-12 Continuum with Financial Literacy, Building an advisory team “FinLit Fanatics Kzoo” , Curriculum & Content opportunities to “weave” the financial literacy thread, & state updates from MCEE President Derek D’Angelo.
Marine Corps Orientation
Lead Presenter: Bryen Roder
This presentation will provide attendees with information and resources regarding the United States Military and the Marine Corps in particular. Topics will include the ASVAB Career Exploration Program that falls in line with the Michigan Career Education Model, a review of the career opportunities that exist within the armed forces, scholarships offered through the Marine Corps, and the leadership classes and exercises we offer to students.
Meaningful Minute Meetings
Lead Presenter: Betsy Kanagawa
If you have ever wanted to find a way to connect with all your students and collect meaningful data to drive tiered interventions, this is the session or you! Learn how we implemented minute meetings in our school: the structure, the questions we used, and the interventions.
Social Media Update: The Unicorn and the Horse– From Magic to Disruption
Lead Presenter: Linda Flaga
This breakout presentation will review current social media platforms that our students are using. We will explore the positive aspects of use (magic) along with the concerns (disruption) of these different platforms. The focus will be on informing educators and counselors so they can assist students and parents through this complicated arena.
Answering the Cry for Help
Lead Presenter: David Opalewski
This presentation will enhance participants skills in recognizing the signs and symptoms of a suicidal crisis and discussing what is not helpful and what is more helpful when talking to a person in suicidal crisis.
Antiracist School Counseling: Possibilities and Promise
Lead Presenter: Star Zetocha
The focus of this session is to report on recent scholarship that calls for antiracist school counseling, including antiracist school counselor competencies and the movement from a social justice framework to an antiracist framework for school counseling. Participants will learn about the magnitude of the shift in the profession, one which hasn’t been seen since the ASCA National Model was first introduced 20 years ago.
Career and Technical Education (CTE) 101
Lead Presenter: Candace Vinson
Are you serving double duty as your building’s CTE Director or Work-Based Learning Coordinator? If so, this session is for you! Our Michigan Department of Education team will provide you with the benefits of CTE, and the endless opportunities that are available to students. We will discuss Michigan Merit Flexibility, ways to market CTE, and provide guidance on the Michigan Career Development Model. Bring your questions!
Creating Limitless Access: Promoting HBCUs with Passion and Perseverance
Lead Presenter: Rakiba Mitchell
This interactive session will provide attendees with an overall understanding of Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCUs) as well as the resources for exploring, applying, and funding an HBCU experience. Attendees will also learn about specific match and fit tools, apps, websites, scholarship pathways, programs and community organizations that can appeal to and address the needs of all students in a post COVID society.
Elementary School Level Sharing Session
Lead Presenter: Amy Kuzniar
Join us for some networking, sharing, and collaboration with your fellow elementary school counselors.
Helping Students Thrive Through Self Compassion
Lead Presenter: Ginny Witte
In this presentation I will share research based strategies students can use to cultivate positive mental and emotional capacities such as self-awareness, mindfulness, self-compassion, and gratitude to improve emotional health and well-being. The practices will support concentration, acceptance of self and present experiences, and increase their capacity for challenges, adversity and love for all human beings.
What Documenting My Time and Using My Data Has Done for Me and Others
Lead Presenter: Autumn Winsor
This session will illustrate: 1) why it is important to document your time; 2) how to effectively schedule your time; 3) how to work with your administrator/supervisor; 4) how to make your data do the talking; and 5) real-world examples that improved school counseling programs.
Developing Tier 2 Data Collection Systems Using Root Cause Analysis
Lead Presenter: Terri Tchorzynski
Developing proactive, data-driven approaches to Tier 2 systems is a critical step in building an effective school counseling program. Unfortunately, oftentimes, school counselors are left feeling frustrated if they do not see the change they hope to see in their students through interventions. Learn how to apply root cause analysis strategies to discover appropriate interventions for students that will maximize their opportunities for success.
Educational Applications of Polyvagal Theory in Behavior and Learning
Lead Presenter: Ginny Witte
This presentation will help you look at student mental health and behavior issues through the lens of their nervous system. You will learn the power of safety and connection and why it is imperative for regulating and improving mental health. You will learn the three states of the nervous system, how to help students regulate, and techniques/activities that you can do together and students can do on their own.
Future Proud Michigan Education LAUNCH: Pipeline to Careers in Education
Lead Presenter: Candace Vinson
To meet the educator workforce shortage, Future Proud Michigan Educator LAUNCH helps students get a start in teaching. This exciting journey can help them earn credits toward a higher education degree, spark an interest in teaching as a career, and prepare them to enter the workforce immediately after high school graduation with education credentials. Learn how to add this Career and Technical Education program to grow your own educators.
Middle Level Sharing Session
Lead Presenter: Betsy Kanagawa
An opportunity for middle-level counselors to collaborate and share best-practices for creating a career and college-going culture.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Power of the Practice
Lead Presenter: Ali Turfe
MBSR: Empowering counselors with increased presence, awareness, and connectivity resulting in workplace stress reduction. Mindfulness must be experienced to be known. Learn mindfulness meditation practices that develop awareness of body, heart, and mind. In this skills presentation, counselors will (a) review MBSR literature, (b) experience three formal mindfulness practices, (c) learn two mindfulness practices to reduce stress during communication.
Strengthening the Administrator-School Counselor Relationship
Lead Presenter: Aimee Portteus
When School Counselors and School Administrators come together effectively, everyone benefits. Learn ways to advocate for your profession and collaborate with administration to foster positive student outcomes and transform school culture and climate.
A Systems Approach to Shifting Career Culture
Lead Presenter: Gretchen Panicucci
Career development is more than completing Educational Development Plans. Creating a school culture that focuses on career development takes a systems approach that starts with assessing the needs of students, staff, and community stakeholders. Session attendees will walk away with a better understanding of Youth Solutions Select and the process implemented for creating a comprehensive career development program in middle and high schools.
National Center for Youth Issues
ATTN: MI-SCA
P.O. Box 22185
Chattanooga, TN 37422-2185