October 5-6, 2026
Hilton East Brunswick
East Brunswick, NJ
We hope to see you next year!
Details to come.
The New Jersey Chapter is fueled by the mission to save lives by providing education and support to the Garden State.
The grassroots work we do focuses on eliminating the loss of life from suicide by: delivering innovative prevention programs, educating the public about risk factors and warning signs, raising funds for suicide research and programs, and reaching out to those individuals who have lost someone to suicide.
For more information contact Elizabeth Roithmayr-Clemens, Executive Director at eroithmayr@afsp.org.
The Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters represent men and women who provide safe, productive work every day. We span a variety of crafts such as general carpentry, pile driving, trade show, interior design, mill cabinet and millwrights. Our state-of-the-art, no debt apprentice training sets the standard in our industry and ensures that workers have the training to operate efficiently and safely on the job site.
For more information, pelase contact Patty Hapanowicz at phapanowicz@cctmarketing.org or (732) 754-0561.
Milton Hershey School is one of the world’s best private schools, where qualifying students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade live on campus. Students receive an exceptional educational experience, nurturing home life, college and career readiness support, and comprehensive health and wellness care, including medical and dental services, food, and clothing—with all costs covered.
For more information, please contact Stacey Spangenburg at 717-696-6714 or spangenburgs@mhs-pa.org.
When your students join the Army National Guard, they are not just enlisting, they are stepping into a future filled with opportunity. From tuition assistance and career training to leadership development and discipline, the Guard empowers them to succeed in both military and civilian life. Whether it’s earning a college degree without student debt, learning job skills, or serving their community with pride, the NJ Army National Guard offers a proven path to growth and success.
For more information, please contact SFC Malika Moore, Marketing NCOIC at (215) 868-2638 or Malika.n.moore.mil@army.mil.
QuaverReady brings readiness skills to life for students. Our curriculum equips students with the skills necessary for success in school and beyond. Our engaging, fully digital, and standards-aligned Pre-K–8 curriculum program ensures students are ready to face the challenges and opportunities ahead.
For more information, please contact Nathan Wesner at NathanWesner@QuaverEd.com or (615) 922-2014.
RethinkEd helps districts turn whole child and whole educator frameworks into everyday practice. Through one connected platform, essential supports come together with actionable insights – reducing reliance on siloed, fragmented solutions. Rather than treating academics, behavior, mental health, and educator support as separate efforts, we bring these areas into a unified system designed for consistent use across schools. Curriculum, interventions, professional learning, and data work together to support students’ academic, behavioral, and emotional growth while strengthening educator capacity and confidence. Built by educators and grounded in evidence, our platform aligns with trusted standards and research-based best practices used across K–12 education. Districts partner with RethinkEd to extend the strong work already happening in their schools and build sustainable systems where students thrive and educators feel supported. Explore what’s possible at rethinked.com.
For more information, please contact Corinne Bishop, Director of Sales at (347) 797-4756 or corinne.bishop@rethinked.com.
SchooLinks is a modern college and career readiness platform that supports districts’ implementation of a comprehensive curriculum and framework to prepare students for the post-secondary pathway of their choice. Containing more than eighty interactive student experiences from interest discoveries, academic planning, and soft skill development – SchooLinks offers internship matching, career mentorship, industry partner management, and more to help districts support holistic postsecondary readiness. Our unified solution supports South Carolina’s initiatives for improved student outcomes and postsecondary readiness.
For more information, please contact Aaron Johnson at ajohnson@schoolinks.com.
The College Funding Coach® was founded in 2002 to help families better understand the complex strategies for paying for college and making higher education more affordable. Since that time, The College Funding Coach® team has been on a mission to help families make the college dream a reality…and still retire one day.
For more information contact Hugo Carvajal, Regional Director at (201) 212-1046 or hcarvajal@thecollegefundingcoach.org.
Wellpoint (formerly Amerigroup) has proudly served NJ FamilyCare members since 1996. Wellpoint helps improve health care access and quality for low-income residents throughout NJ. Whole person health is at the foundation of everything we do and our services and programming address people’s physical, social and emotional health. To learn more about Wellpoint New Jersey, please visit: choosewellpoint.com/nj.
For more information contact Margarita Valentin, Health Promotion representative at (732) 340-6746 or margarita.valentin@wellpoint.com.
Monday Morning Keynote Session
October 5, 2026 | 8:15 a.m.
Empathy has dropped 40% in the average college-aged student since the year 2000. 73% of Generation Z says they sometimes or always feel alone. The journey ahead — for students and the adults who guide them — runs through a world that is divisive, anxious, and disconnected. The bad news? We are unskilled at kindness. The good news? It can be taught, modeled, and practiced. Drawing from his work in over 12,000 schools globally as co-founder of CharacterStrong, Houston Kraft will share why kindness must be redefined for this generation, and the tactical approach school counselors can take to guide the long, uneven journey toward a more compassionate world.
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Houston Kraft has spoken at over 700 events internationally. In 2016, he co-founded CharacterStrong which currently serves 10,000 schools across 50 states and 45 countries helping to support the teaching of kindness in education. In 2019, his face was featured on Lays BBQ chip bags as someone who helps “spread smiles.” In 2020, his first book Deep Kindness: A Revolutionary Guide for the Way We Think, Talk, and Act in Kindness was published by Simon & Schuster. In 2023, the companion guide Be Kind: A 52-Week Journal for Practicing Kindness was published. He has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN, Hallmark, Huffpost, and more as an expert on developing a more empathetic, kind world. His mom is his hero and her best life lesson is to “hug like you mean it.”
Houston will also be presenting one breakout session.
Tuesday Morning Keynote Session
October 6, 2026 | 8:15 a.m.
Ripple effects are created by small disruptions that have the power and potential to continue to spread far beyond the starting point. In education, we are given daily opportunities to begin ripple effects with our students that have the power and potential to transcend the walls of our schools and positively impact their life trajectory. These are opportunities that we should not take lightly and should be done with thoughtfulness and intentionality.
Discover proactive strategies that are designed to reimagine systems and processes that are centered on student outcomes. From the integration of student mental health and well-being to academic achievement, to transformational teaming that is centered on data-informed decisions, to the development of a multi-tiered system of support that is designed to meet the needs of ALL students. Each of these strategies will encourage us to think differently about how we can best support the students we serve and is centered around this guiding question – “what ‘ripple effects’ are you hoping to start with your students and how do you hope they spread far beyond the walls of our schools?”
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Terri is a nationally recognized school counselor, educator, and passionate advocate for comprehensive, data-informed programs that emphasize intentional, proactive systems. With nearly 25 years of diverse experience that encompasses classroom instruction, school counseling, professional coaching/consultation, and leadership at both state and national levels, she has earned a reputation as a go-to speaker for impactful, practitioner-focused strategies that drive immediate implementation and results.
As a former National School Counselor of the Year and a pioneer in leading the transformation of her department from a reactive program into one of Michigian’s first schools recognized as an ASCA Model Program (RAMP), Terri possesses a wealth of expertise and experience. Her approach is rooted in repositioning current realities and challenges to develop solution-focused strategies that deliver immediate results.
Guided by her passion for fostering educational excellence, Terri thrives on facilitating professional learning by equipping school counselors and educators with practical strategies, best practices, and resources to positively impact student outcomes. She is dedicated to redesigning systems to be more equitable and inclusive, ensuring they reflect the diversity of the entire school community. She is committed to developing accountability frameworks that place students at the heart of desired outcomes.
Terri will also be presenting one breakout session.
Click the session to title to learn more
Tentative
7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Registration and Information Center Open
7:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Exhibits Open
7:00 a.m. – 7:45 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
7:45 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.
Opening Remarks
8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Keynote Speaker – Houston Kraft
9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Break with Exhibitors
9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Session 1
10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Break with Exhibitors
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Session 2
12:15 p.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Lunch, Visit with Exhibitors, Prizes
1:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Session 3
2:30 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Break with Exhibitors
2:45 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Session 4
4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
Reception
7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Registration and Information Center Open
7:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Exhibits Open
7:30 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
8:15 a.m. – 9:15 a.m.
Keynote Speaker – Terri Tchorzynski
9:15 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Break with Exhibitors
9:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m.
Session 5
10:45 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Break with Exhibitors
11:00 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
Session 6
12:15 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch and Prizes
1:00 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Session 7
2:15 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Survey and PD Certificates
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Please visit the NJSCA website and become a member or renew your annual membership. Please contact NJSCA directly for all membership questions.
For questions about NJSCA membership please contact, Jim Lukach at jimlukach@msn.com or at (732) 846-6468.
Do you need help justifying this conference to your Supervisor? Vying for a good funding source can be challenging sometimes. We have created a letter (modeled from ASCA) you can customize to support your efforts to attend the 2026 NJSCA Conference!
NJSCA is very pleased to announce that we have received the Travel Waiver for our Fall Conference from the Commissioner of Education. An NJDOE (New Jersey Department of Education) travel waiver allows organizations like school districts to reimburse employees for overnight travel expenses to conferences or events, which are normally prohibited unless a waiver is granted. An individual must live 50 miles or more from the venue. School districts are not compelled to pay the expenses. We hope you will find it helpful!
Includes registration for both conference days (October 5-6) and one night hotel stay (October 5 only).
If interested in adding a second night, you can contact the hotel directly after receiving your hotel confirmation.
Professional Member*
$299
Save $24 if you register by July 31, 2026***
Professional Non-Member**
$359
Save $24 if you register by July 31, 2026***
Student or Retiree
$250
Save $25 if you register by July 31, 2026***
Please note: If paying for an all-inclusive registration by check or money order, the registration along with the form of payment must be delivered to NCYI by September 8, 2026.
Professional Member*
$199
Professional Non-Member**
$275
Student or Retiree
$149
Professional Member*
$149
Professional Non-Member**
$225
Student or Retiree
$100
Professionals**
$60
Graduate Students
$30
Retirees
$30
*Your NJSCA membership must be good through October 6, 2026 to qualify for these rates.
**If registering as a Professional Non-Member you will receive a complimentary NJSCA membership. You may also register as a Professional Member and add membership to your total to get discounted registration rates.
***To qualify for the early registration discount, your registration form AND payment (copy of your purchase order, check, or credit card) must be received or postmarked by the early registration cutoff date.
The online registration portal is now closed, but we will be accepting on-site registration at the event. Please bring the Registration Form (see below to download) with your method of payment to the conference.
To pay with a check or purchase order please download the registration form and send it in with your check or purchase order. Registrations cannot be processed without payment. Contact us with questions.
CANCELLATION POLICY: If we are forced to cancel the NJSCA Conference because of a “force majeure” event, such as a government restriction on large gatherings that cover the intended size of the conference, then we will issue full refunds of the registrations. Otherwise, our normal cancellation policy will be upheld: There will be no refunds after September 5, 2026. All cancellations before September 5, 2026 will be refunded less a $25 handling fee. The conference is not responsible for and cannot give refunds due to problems beyond its control such as weather or school closings.
On social distancing and other health and safety measures, the regulations/guidelines that apply to hotels and conference centers may change. The NJSCA Conference will conform to all necessary regulations/guidelines that are in place as of the date of the conference.
Register online below using a credit card, or download the registration form and send it in with your payment.
To pay with a check* or purchase order* please download the registration form and send it in with your check or purchase order. Registrations cannot be processed without payment. Contact us with questions.
*For all-inclusive registrations paid with a check or purchase order, the registration form along with the form of payment must be delivered to NCYI by September 8, 2026.
HOST HOTEL
3 Tower Center Boulevard
East Brunswick, New Jersey 08816
Reservation information coming soon.
Standard rooms at the hotel may be reserved at a special conference rate of $149 plus tax. This rate is valid through September 18, 2026, while rooms are available.
You can also book a room by calling 732-469-2600. Be sure to mention that you are with the New Jersey School Counselors Association.
HOST HOTEL
200 Atrium Drive
Somerset, NJ 08873
Reservation information coming soon.
Standard rooms at the hotel may be reserved at a special conference rate of $149 plus tax. This rate is valid through September 18, 2026, while rooms are available.
Standard rooms at the hotel may be reserved at a special conference rate of $139 plus tax. This rate is valid through September 12, 2025, has been extended through September 19, 2025, while rooms are available.
You can also book a room by calling 732-469-2600. Be sure to mention that you are with the New Jersey School Counselors Association.
In your downtime, be sure to relax and explore the surrounding area. Just a short drive away, you’ll find a variety of great options. Head to The Shoppes at North Brunswick to enjoy delicious dining at spots like Sigri Indian BBQ or Hummus Republic, then browse popular shops such as LOFT and Bath & Body Works. To round out the evening, catch a movie at AMC Brunswick Square 13 for a fun and easy night out.
For a more rejuvenating experience, consider visiting Island Spa & Sauna, a nearby Korean-style day spa offering saunas, relaxation rooms, and spa treatments for the perfect way to unwind.
We hope this conference will educate and equip you to do your job well, and we also hope you will take advantage of the wonderful ways you can relax and be refreshed!
National Center for Youth Issues
ATTN: NJSCA
P.O. Box 22185
Chattanooga, TN 37422-2185
Make all checks and purchase orders payable to:
National Center for Youth Issues
The Attendee will receive an email confirmation to the email address provided when their registration is processed. (Make sure to check Junk/Spam folders.) Please allow ample time for processing.
Please contact NJSCA directly for all membership questions. For questions about NJSCA membership please contact, Jim Lukach at jimlukach@msn.com or at (732) 846-6468.
All intellectual property rights in and to the New Jersey School Counselors Association (“the Event”), the content and all materials distributed at or in connection with the Event are owned by the New Jersey School Counselors Association and/or the Event sponsors or speakers presenting written permission of New Jersey School Counselors Association or the presenting speaker.
Sponsors receive attendee contact information.
