October 15-17, 2025
Embassy Suites & Hampton Roads Convention Center
Hampton, VA
We hope to see you next year!
Lead Presenter: Amy Kastelberg
In this session, participants will expand their knowledge of the Regulation Rainbow and journey beyond the Tier I framework. Focusing on student growth, the session will highlight strategies that foster collaboration among educators, counselors, and support staff, ensuring a consistent and supportive approach across the school community. Whether you’re a teacher, counselor, or administrator, you’ll leave with practical resources and ideas to promote emotional intelligence, self-regulation, and a shared language for emotional support that benefits everyone in the school environment.
Lead Presenter: Kristin Maddox
Please join me to discuss how we are combatting Chronic Absenteeism at Amherst Middle School. At Amherst Middle School, the School Counselor assists with combatting chronic absenteeism by identification, small group sessions, individual check-ins, and incentives. Join us to learn more about our process and procedures and how this helps create increased awareness around chronic absenteeism and the impact it has on student success.
Lead Presenter: Trayva Bradley
This presentation focuses on the power of affirmations to uplift and empower minority children. Participants will explore the importance of positive self-talk, cultural pride, and self-love in building confidence and resilience. Through interactive activities, real-world examples, and reflective discussions, this session will provide practical tools to help embrace unique identities, challenge negative stereotypes, and cultivate a mindset of growth and empowerment. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to create their own affirmations and foster a supportive environment.
Lead Presenter: Sarah Henry
In this session, we will discuss how to apply various counseling theories in school counseling. We will discuss reality, person-centered, ecological, advocating student-within-environment, cognitive behavior therapy, existential, solution focused, and adlerian theories–and their applications to how school counselors design and deliver a school counseling program. This will include how theory may impact what school counselors measure, how they advocate, and how they design curriculum. Being theoretically intentional can assist school counselors in being holistically minded and reduce burn out.
Lead Presenter: Anna Williford
Every school counselor wants to see their students succeed after high school, but have you ever wondered how a gap year can be a part of that strategy? In this enlightening and actionable session, I will challenge your preconceived notions about what a gap year is and who it is for. We’ll explore how intentional gap years foster personal development, skillbuilding, and self-discovery in young adults that result in students who are more prepared to thrive in college and adulthood. This session will educate attendees in opportunities, funding resources, and how to offer as an option to students.
Lead Presenter: Brett Zyromski
How we define success in schools is often dictated by national, state, and organizational expectations defined by standardized testing. However, the building blocks of holistic post-secondary success go beyond standardized outcomes. What we measure usually defines our focus, which could result in our missing the building blocks of our students’ life success. Come learn how to measure what matters, illustrate your impact on student outcomes in these areas, and connect those gains to changes in achievement data.
Lead Presenter: Ashlee Davis
Nationally, students are expected to gain career awareness, career preparedness, and transition skills as early as kindergarten. Early access to career planning has the potential to introduce students to spark their interests and curiosities for the future. Those experiences can lead to a more motivated and engaging learning environment for students whose education is connected to their future. This session will explore barriers to providing early access and how to increase student participation in career exploration and planning for their future.
Lead Presenter: Kasey Cain
To foster longevity within the school counseling profession, it’s essential to acknowledge and address the inherent stressors of the helping field and the potential for burnout. In this session, you will learn to recognize the difference between stress and burnout. You will leave with practical strategies that can be implemented for personal well-being or shared with colleagues.
Lead Presenter: Lynette Saville
Get ready to drop the mic on Tier 1 counseling! In this chart-topping session, we’ll spin the best-of-the-best school counseling lessons and resources that hit all the right notes for classroom lessons. From setting the stage with SEL to remixing routines with engaging activities, this playlist of ideas will leave you singing with inspiration. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refresh your setlist, these tried-and-true hits are sure to strike a chord with your students. Come ready to jam!
Lead Presenter: Julia Taylor
Virginia has an abundance of school counselor educators, leaders in the profession, and spectacular doctoral programs. If you have ever pondered returning to graduate school to earn a doctoral degree, this panel presentation will answer all of your questions related to the process.
Lead Presenter: Bryson Johnson
Have you noticed your students texting fluently but struggling to speak up in class? Communication problems impact even our youngest learners. Without the practice of face-to-face communication, they become scared to speak in front of groups, anxious to approach teachers with questions, and avoid talking to elders at all costs. In this session, the audience will participate in engaging activities and case studies aimed at building verbal communication skills from the classroom to the workplace.
Lead Presenter: Wilson Harvey
Social/emotional Learning, or SEL, is a critical skill for our students to succeed in and beyond school. At the same time, it can be a challenge to meaningfully address SEL in a way that impacts the school system at a systemic level. In this session, you will learn how a school counselor and a teacher partnered to create a versatile SEL Team including staff from across the school, a Student SEL Team to engage student voice, and a consistent system of data review. Come ready to learn new strategies and brainstorm ways to revolutionize SEL in your building!
Lead Presenter: Makenzie Perkins
Did you know new studies estimate 1 in 12 children will lose a parent or sibling before the age of 18? This presentation will allow school counselors to leave with creative ways to help students process their own grief journeys. A variety of expressive counseling techniques will be explored (and practiced!) that can be utilized in both individual and group sessions for all ages. Although we can’t control if a student experiences loss and grief, we can help give their grief a voice.
Lead Presenter: Corey Eaton
Healing Centered Engagement (HCE) is a holistic approach to trauma that involves “culture, spirituality, civic action, and collective healing.” HCE expands upon trauma-informed care through its strength-based, collective view of healing that does not limit trauma to the experience of an individual and “offers an enhanced holistic approach to fostering well-being.”
Lead Presenter: Paul Harris
In this session, the presenters will explore how to lead strengths-based conferences in partnership with administrators that support growth and development – including parent conferences, IEP meetings, and other collaborative conversations. Attendees will reflect on their own strengths and learn how to recognize and leverage student strengths to build trust, increase engagement, and promote better outcomes. Practical strategies, sample language, and planning tools will be provided. Attendees will leave with a personalized action plan they can implement immediately across all grade levels.
Lead Presenter: SchooLinks
Discover how Virginia school districts are strengthening college and career readiness through innovative advising practices and state-specific workflows. In this session, a panel of counseling professionals will share how they are implementing comprehensive course planning strategies, aligning work-based learning opportunities, and leveraging Virginia’s unique tools to better support students. Attendees will walk away with practical strategies to engage staff, streamline processes such as academic and career planning, and empower students to take ownership of their postsecondary pathways.
Lead Presenter: Spencer Allison
The world around us is constantly changing and oftentimes unpredictable. Given recent global events (COVID-19 pandemic), the socio-political climate, the changing job market, and other events that may occur within a student’s system, it is essential that students have skills to adapt and address uncertainty and change, especially related to career development. School counselors can support students in building these necessary skills using the Chaos Theory of Careers (CTC). This session will discuss CTC and how school counselors can utilize the theory in practical ways to support students.
Lead Presenter: Erin Glisson
Looking for ways to create, run, and actually HAVE FUN with an anxiety group in the secondary level? This session will help you brainstorm fun activities, find ways to get buy-in from the students, and have some creative ways to share data to stakeholders.
Lead Presenter: Makenzie Perkins
School counselors are uniquely positioned to be front line responders to students presenting in crisis. This workshop is designed to enhance a school counselor’s knowledge on current suicide statistics, explore strategies to provide effective screening, and demonstrate how to create meaningful safety plans. Special emphasis will be placed on empowering student voice through this process.
Lead Presenter: Sarah Wallace
Interventions to address chronic absenteeism are often not a one-size fits-all, due to this obstacle being a rising systematic issue. At the elementary level, we have implemented a small group intervention that focuses on student self-efficacy in order for students to pursue positive change and growth regarding their school attendance. Participants will receive session outlines and supporting documents that include needs assessment and post-group data report template, group activities, informed consent letters, at-home learning supplies, SEL-based lessons, and embedded life long skills.
Lead Presenter: Jennifer Perry
Explore how Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) can shape effective, student-centered classroom management. Aligning with the ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors, as well as ACA and ASCA ethical standards, an evidence-based classroom management model was developed. This session invites school counselors to share experiences and explore practical, strength-based strategies using the model to foster positive learning environments and strengthen counseling relationships.
Lead Presenter: Paul Harris
This session will equip school counselors with practical strategies to proactively and responsibly facilitate restorative circles that build relationships, strengthen school culture, and promote equity. Rooted in the International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) model and an anti-racist framework, participants will learn how circles foster belonging, address social challenges, and repair harm. Through an interactive presentation, counselors will gain tools to integrate restorative practices into daily routines to create more inclusive, supportive school environments.
Lead Presenter: Caroline Lewis
Gender equality and empowerment are often not spoken about in the school setting. There is a need for students to have accessible spaces to connect with peers of the same gender through small groups to discuss changes and challenges that students face in their adolescent years. This presentation aims to share strategies of a gender-based empowerment group for middle school students, curriculum, recruitment strategies, and the role of school counselors in shaping its success.
Lead Presenter: Cassandra Asekhauno
From lockers to lanyards and course selection to FAFSA forms, students face some big leaps between middle school, high school, and college. This session dives into those key transitions—where the stakes (and the hormones) are high—and offers practical strategies to support students as they find their footing. Whether they’re figuring out how to open a combination lock or how to choose a college major, we’ll explore how educators can make these pivotal moments smoother and less stressful.
Lead Presenter: Hillery Davis
This session will provide participants with a comprehensive overview of the ASCA National Model and the RAMP application requirements, including components, timelines, and documentation standards. We will equip attendees with actionable tips, tools, and real-world examples to help streamline the RAMP application process and avoid common pitfalls. Lastly, we will encourage networking among participants to build a community of practice that supports continued learning, resource sharing, and peer accountability throughout the RAMP journey.
Lead Presenter: Verlene Harry
Resilience is essential for student success, but many face stress, anxiety, and academic pressure. In this workshop, school counselors will gain practical, evidence-based strategies to build emotional resilience in students. These tools will empower students to manage challenges, boost self-confidence, and excel both academically and socially. Learn how to create a supportive environment where resilience thrives, preparing students to overcome obstacles and achieve long-term success.
Lead Presenter: Morgan Meadowes
School counselors are uniquely positioned to support LGBTQ+ students in their schools, often also navigating sensitive conversations with parents and families. The wide array of state and local policies impacting LGBTQ+ students’ rights also creates unclear guidelines and can restrict how school counselors discuss identity and orientation with students. This presentation will share effective strategies, best practices, and supportive recommendations for school counselors when working with LGBTQ+ youth and their families, even if navigating harmful or limiting policies.
Lead Presenter: Jennifer Lavimodiere
In this engaging session, participants will be introduced to the Regulation Rainbow—a color-based framework designed to help students recognize, understand, and regulate their emotions. The Regulation Rainbow offers a visually engaging and student-friendly tool that empowers children to navigate their feelings with confidence. Attendees will gain an overview of the program goals, learn how to implement the rainbow as a daily emotional check-in system, integrate it into classroom routines, and receive additional strategies for Tier 1 implementation.
Lead Presenter: Robert Martinez
School counselors support traumatized students amid socio-political tensions using a framework integrating trauma-informed principles with MTSS through critical lenses. Learn to identify stressors affecting vulnerable populations and implement culturally responsive interventions across tiers. Develop strategies for equitable support systems emphasizing trauma awareness and cultural responsiveness, with a focus on immigrant/refugee students. Leave with implementation tools for immediate use in diverse school settings.
Lead Presenter: Sarah Bazemore
Description: Attendees will learn about updates, policies and resources coming out of the Virginia Department of Education. Let’s take a walk-through some recent Virginia guidance docs and policies. We will also explore some exciting resources created to support the essential work school counselors do throughout the commonwealth!
Session Objectives:
Lead Presenter: Shannon Patterson
Supporting students is a shared responsibility—no educator can do it alone. This session empowers school counselors to design and lead effective professional development that helps teachers create a supportive learning environment. Through a culturally competent lens, we’ll explore brain development, trauma’s impact on behavior, and practical strategies for classroom management and self-care. By strengthening school-wide social/emotional safety, we can empower teachers, foster a culture of care, and help every student thrive.
Lead Presenter: Jan Shea
What does the transition from high school to college look like for young adults with intellectual disability? Discover how educators and school counselors can empower young adults with ID to find inclusive post-secondary education (IPSE) that fuels their career dreams. Explore Virginia’s IPSE landscape, including the fully-accredited ACE-IT in College at VCU. Join us to delve into the national movement of inclusive higher education, gaining best practices and invaluable resources shared by ACE-IT staff, Think College, and the Center on Transition Innovations.
Lead Presenter: Sarah Bazemore
Discover how resource mapping can transform your school counseling program and support your students more effectively. This session explores why resource mapping is a key strategy for school counseling departments and multidisciplinary teams. Participants will leave with a working knowledge of what resource mapping is, how it can strengthen a comprehensive school counseling program, and how it serves as a foundational practice in supporting Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
Lead Presenter: Samantha Amatucci
In recent years, fidget tools have gained popularity as a way to support student focus, reduce anxiety, and promote self-regulation. However, they can quickly become distractions. This session will explore the appropriate use of fidgets as tools in educational settings, providing school staff with practical strategies to maximize their benefits while minimizing disruption. Participants will learn how to distinguish between helpful tools and potential distractions, establish clear expectations, and support students with varying needs through the structured use of fidgets.
Lead Presenter: Kendall McLeod
Middle school can be a turbulent time for young people, especially when it comes to managing friendships, conflicts, and the emotional ups and downs that come with growing up. This presentation details a counseling small group aimed at helping them navigate the challenges of interpersonal drama, peer pressure, and emotional growth in a supportive environment. The group features a focus on student futures by collaborating with feeder high schools and central office officials. Special attention will be given to achieving buy-in from students, teachers and administration.
Lead Presenter: Ashley Lawson
Therapy dogs in schools provide emotional and psychological support to students. These specially trained dogs help reduce stress, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness, which can be especially beneficial for students facing academic pressure, social challenges, or mental health struggles. In a school setting, therapy dogs can offer comfort during tough moments, create a calming atmosphere, and even improve students’ focus and engagement. Join our presentation to learn how we use therapy dogs in our schools from their Instagram pages, Talks with Tyde, and weekly visits with students!
Lead Presenter: Alma Morgan
The transition back to school for students who have a diagnosis of childhood cancer or another chronic illness is often very difficult. Open communication and collaboration between the parent, school staff, and medical staff is imperative. The quest to find normalcy after a life-threatening illness, the rekindling of friendships with peers who often do not understand what their friend has been through, and the academic challenges due to cognitive late effects of treatment are just a few of the topics that will be discussed in this presentation.
Lead Presenter: Katlyn Kegley
Performance anxiety doesn’t just affect the stage—it can strike in the gym, on the football field, or even during everyday academic tasks. For students of all ages, it can take a significant emotional and mental toll, often leaving school personnel unsure of how to provide support. This presentation will explore the prevalence and impact of performance anxiety in school settings and offer practical, evidence-based strategies that attendees can implement to help students manage anxiety and perform with greater confidence.
Lead Presenter: Brittney Clark
Schools are uniquely positioned to make a lasting impact on students’ mental health. However, many U.S. school counseling programs are struggling to support this increased need due to lack of funding or staff. Our expert will provide insight into current trends surrounding teen mental health, present actionable strategies schools can take to help, share state and federal resources available for support and lead a collaborative session for peer discussion groups.
Lead Presenter: Makenzie Perkins
Did you know new studies estimate 1 in 12 children will lose a parent or sibling before the age of 18? This presentation will allow school counselors to leave with creative ways to help students process their own grief journeys. A variety of expressive counseling techniques will be explored (and practiced!) that can be utilized in both individual and group sessions for all ages. Although we can’t control if a student experiences loss and grief, we can help give their grief a voice.
Lead Presenter: Shannon Price
Join Gordon Elementary’s principal and counselors to explore how they integrated the House system to enhance their PBIS framework. Learn how this combination strengthened school culture, increased student engagement, and fostered belonging. Hear how they launched the House system with purpose, reinforced expectations through House rewards and recognition, built relationships across grade levels, and created opportunities for inclusive engagement and healthy competition. Walk away with practical ideas to elevate PBIS at your school.
Lead Presenter: Patrice Gray
During this session, we will explore how to plan and execute a College and Career Fair centered around the Three E’s: Employment, Enrollment, and Enlistment. This event was designed to help students discover various career paths and educational opportunities, empowering them to make informed decisions about their future. We will discuss the essential steps in preparing for such an event, logistics of the event itself, and more.
Lead Presenter: Yi-Yun Minnie Tsai
How do we, as individuals who sign up to advocate and support children, process experiences where the systems we work in prevent us from utilizing best practices, and we continue to witness students experiencing harm in schools? You’re not alone, and there is a term for it–moral injury. This presentation focuses on providing a systemic lens to conceptualize 21st Century school counselor wellness, burnout, and advocacy.
Lead Presenter: Amy Webster
Counselors have SOL standards, but no dedicated classroom time. Trying to gain access to classroom time is nearly impossible. But what if we work together? What if we provide complete lesson plans and activities that are fun, easy to differentiate, and not only related to our counseling standards, but directly correlated to their SOL standards? Walk away with a plethora of activities to promote career and college exploration, financial literacy, and lots of different ideas on ways to use them in your building to create a school-wide culture of higher education access.
Lead Presenter: Kai Butler
This session introduces Work of Art, a yearlong program designed to support the character development of Black girls ages 13–18 in underserved school communities. The program integrates academic enrichment, social/emotional learning, and college and career exploration to nurture students’ self-confidence, leadership skills, and future readiness. Participants will learn strategies for creating a supportive, culturally responsive space where Black girls can thrive academically, socially, and personally.
Lead Presenter: Bryan A. Pecoraro
In this fun and practical session, participants will explore how to use ChatGPT and other A.I. tools to enhance efficiency, strengthen student connections, and spark creativity in school counseling. From time-saving hacks and organization tips to communication ideas and activity planning, this session offers hands-on examples and ready-to-use tools for real-life counseling needs. Walk away with innovative, practical strategies you can use right away!
Lead Presenter: Kim Karr
While digital devices are integral to students’ academic and social lives, they often contribute to a growing disconnect between students and schools. This digital divide—exacerbated by cyberbullying, harmful online trends, and the misuse of artificial intelligence—poses significant challenges to student well-being and school climate. This session offers evidence-based strategies to promote digital citizenship and rebuild student trust. Attendees will gain adaptable lessons and tools to foster equity, safety, and student engagement.
Lead Presenter: Amy Webster
It takes a village–but in a world so busy, how do we bring that village together in the name of our students’ education? How do we help parents understand the importance of their role as their child’s primary educator and explore the types of community resources available to support their child’s success? Come discuss tips and strategies to pull your community together for the greater good of education. Reaching the right parents can be difficult, but not impossible!
Lead Presenter: Bryson Johnson
Do you ever wish you had a rewind button for a student’s not-so-great decision? Let’s explore how to turn those “oops” moments into breakthrough lessons that stick. This interactive session is designed for educators looking for creative, practical strategies to help students turn everyday choices into powerful learning moments. We’ll dive into how framing consequences as learning opportunities, not punishments, can boost self-management, empathy, and resilience. You’ll walk away with ready-to-use tools for sparking meaningful behavior changes for communication, conflict resolution, and more!
Lead Presenter: Jessica Justus
This session will unpack the leadership roles of school administration, school counselors, staff and students in utilizing career development to enhance student success. If student success is the goal, it is imperative to see the increased integration of career awareness and education at every level. In addition to the school staff, increasing student leadership education and opportunities in the school mission to address career development can lead to greater student achievement and success at the elementary, middle and high school levels.
Lead Presenter: Spencer Allison
Loneliness and isolation have been identified as a public health epidemic impacting the mental/physical well-being of Americans, and school-aged students are no exception. Students may experience disconnection in the school setting which has academic, social/emotional, and career implications. School counselors are uniquely positioned to address these challenges using relational-cultural theory (RCT) as a framework for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) to promote student connections among each other and school-wide. This presentation will discuss practical strategies for using RCT.
Lead Presenter: Emily Kitching
In this session, we will explore the concept of psychological safety and its relevance to school counselors’ well-being and ability to engage in critical social justice and advocacy work. We will share findings from a national survey examining school counselors’ psychological safety in relation to constructs like burnout, turnover intention, job satisfaction, and work engagement. Fostering psychological safety supports school counselors to advocate effectively for all students.
Lead Presenter: Brooke Marshall
Mental Health and Wellness is a trending topic in our world today. As counselors, we know it’s not just a trend, but something vital to live a happy and successful life! As school counselors, we can help stop the stigma and get families involved in supporting their child’s mental health (and their own). Every May, our counseling team hosts a Mental Health and Wellness Fair. It is one of our biggest family engagement nights of the year! Come learn how to organize, plan, and implement your own night of fun and learning for Mental Health Awareness Month!
Lead Presenter: Wilson Harvey
In a school ecosystem where there are a consistent bevy of student needs to address, it can be easy to overlook the needs of high-achieving students. However, experience and statistics show that these students often struggle with significant anxiety and issues around self-worth. In this session, you will learn how a school counselor addressed this concern in 4-6 week groups for 11th and 12th grade IB Diploma candidate students. Specifically, you will learn creative techniques, group plans, and data collection tools, along with how to incorporate CBT and related reading into a group setting.
Lead Presenter: Neil Feser
Students sit up when they hear how much more graduates earn in lifetime earnings than dropouts do. They really sit up when it is converted into $ paid for every hour spent in high school = $70/hr. Dropouts earn a $0. bonus. The impact is visually enhanced when coupled with a successful suicide prevention presentation in which students, representing years of life, stand shoulder to shoulder the length of a gym compared to one bad year. Graduates earn $8,000/yr. more. More details are added, plus a mini presentation explores how AI influences career decisions and attitudes toward productivity.
Lead Presenter: Felix Hawkins Lawton
LGBTQIA+ youth experience numerous obstacles and challenges when applying to colleges and careers (Chen & Keats 2016; Chung, 1995; Lindley, 2006; Pope et al., 2004). Currently, school counselors are having to figure out how to rebrand and pivot their programming so that all students are represented and experience equity in their college and career programming. This session seeks to highlight equity gaps in college and career outcomes and experiences of LGBTQIA+ people, the importance of representation in programming (Chen & Keats, 2016), and essential tools.
Lead Presenter: Crystal Hatton
School counselors have a legal and ethical obligation to support students who are at risk for suicide. However, this task can be rather challenging and daunting for school counselors as they strive to preserve the safety and wellbeing of students. In this engaging and informative session, attendees will review applicable laws, ethical standards, and best practices for assisting students who are at risk for suicide. In addition, participants will discuss how to best broach this sensitive topic with students and parents.
Lead Presenter: Sarah Ritchie
This session will explore the vital role of collaboration among school counselors, colleagues, and school staff in creating a well-rounded, inclusive, and impactful counseling experience for all students. Through fostering strong partnerships, sharing resources, and developing school-wide projects, counselors can provide a more holistic and effective support system. We will discuss actionable strategies for teamwork, communication, and resource sharing to ensure that every child receives the comprehensive guidance and services they deserve.
Lead Presenter: Shannon Wingert
This is a practical and insightful session on how one school district has utilized the MTSS lens, particularly through data-driven practices, to increase the impact of running a comprehensive school counseling program, like the ASCA Model. Attend our session and learn how we align school counseling and MTSS, tracking data to understand school counselors’ use of time and an equity-focus on student needs; educate and collaborate with administrators; and increase advocacy and visibility. This district-level leader will share real-world strategies, lessons learned, and tools at the building and division levels.
Lead Presenter: Blaire Cholewa
Are you tired of spreadsheets that tell only part of the story? Discover how Safir & Dugan’s “Street Data” framework can transform your practice! Come join this interactive session where we will explore the Equity Transformation Cycle- an innovative way to use your counseling skills to center student voices, challenge dominant narratives, and identify root causes of inequities. Learn practical strategies for gathering culturally responsive data that builds upon cultural assets and moves you and your school to equity-driven action.
Lead Presenter: Sean Hodge
Often viewed as a “rarity” in the school counseling field, black male school counselors play a vital role in the development of young men and women. The challenges and obstacles faced by black male counselors shed light on how we navigate our duties and responsibilities. Role ambiguity, racial challenges, the de-stigmatization of mental health and many other issues can have an impact on our effectiveness. This session will help you understand some of the barriers and obstacles we encounter and why black male school counselors are important.
Lead Presenter: Audra Lancaster Boyce
Explore the foundations of resilience-building to impact the student experience through a trauma-informed lens and advance our work as school counselors. This session will focus on our responsibility to cast a supportive net around students to create spaces that foster resilience and support students holistically. Participants will explore foundational elements of resilience-building and engage in conversations that center around research, reflection, trauma-sensitive practices, and forward thinking to effectively support students and school communities.
Lead Presenter: Derek Ryan
Chronic absenteeism can hinder student success. This session explores how schools, including Title I, can use MTSS to improve attendance. Participants will learn to identify root causes, implement proactive, tiered interventions, and build partnerships with families. Using practical strategies, data-driven practices, and real-world examples, this session empowers student support teams to foster a culture of engagement, accountability, and improved student attendance.
Lead Presenter: Keith Schumacher
Creating a welcoming and more inclusive environment for all family members is crucial to achieving meaningful family engagement at the local school level. However, many schools overlook the importance of being “father-friendly,” unintentionally discouraging a significant segment of family members who could otherwise contribute to school engagement. This discussion will focus on identifying and eliminating these barriers to foster greater and more inclusive family involvement.
Lead Presenter: Charity Smith
Student well-being is foundational to academic success and lifelong thriving. This session will empower school counselors to proactively identify students with emerging well-being needs and implement effective, tiered interventions. Aligned with MTSS best practices, participants will explore practical strategies for assessing needs, tracking progress, and embedding wellness and prevention into daily school routines to ensure every student feels seen, supported, and equipped to succeed.
Lead Presenter: Nick Parrish
Care for the whole person and understanding how emotions impact learning and communication skills is essential for success. This session will discuss how feelings fuel behaviors and how those behaviors can impede or accelerate learning. We will provide instruction on the use of practical free resources provided by Kimochis™ and actively in use within FCPS. Participants will learn proven methods to help establish trust, encourage self-regulation, and equip students to remain focused on learning. Attendees will have the opportunity to practice the skills and access free resources during the session.
Lead Presenter: Carla Mahn
Preparing students for success requires more than a high school diploma—it requires intentional tools and strategies that guide students in discovering their strengths, setting goals, and exploring real-world opportunities. At Hampton City Schools, we’ve used a future-readiness platform to promote equitable access to post-secondary planning, personalize student pathways, and engage families in meaningful conversations about the future. We’ll share key data, implementation strategies, and our practical framework to help you embed K-12 career readiness into your district and amplify your impact!
Lead Presenter: Julia Taylor
In this session, school counseling graduate students from the University of Virginia will present their personally designed, ready-to-go small group curriculums. Each curriculum includes an overview, parent/guardian consent forms, evaluation tools, and action-packed lesson plans for 6-8 week sessions. Group curriculums and resources will be shared electronically with participants.
Lead Presenter: Kimberly Logsdon
Grief is hard at any age, but how do you explain such a big feeling to such little kiddos? If this is an area that seems unapproachable to you, come by and sit with us for a while! We are going to discuss what grief entails, strategies to approach grief, and available community resources.
Lead Presenter: Chad Ragland
PBIS provides a framework for promoting positive behavior through clear expectations, consistent reinforcement, and data-driven decisions. SEL helps students build critical skills like responsible decision-making and healthy relationships. In this presentation, learn why PBIS and SEL are even more effective when integrated, and discover strategies to support behavior expectations by embedding SEL into your school-wide PBIS approach.
Lead Presenter: Kimberly Wilbourne
With the addition of helping professionals within the school setting, there may be some questions to who is supposed to do what and how do you alleviate toe stepping. The development of a Unified Student Support Team (USST) has been a game changer within our school. This has allowed all helping professionals to collectively work together to identify Tier 2 and Tier 3 students. By holding a monthly meeting and the use of a workbook, the helping professionals are able to ensure that we are reaching the maximum number of students in our school while maintaining instant access to data.
Lead Presenter: Tiana Noble
Join us for a dynamic presentation that will reshape your approach to guiding students and families through life after high school! As school counselors, we play a pivotal role in shaping the futures of our students. Equip yourself with tools to guide students and families through this journey. Discover informative tools like Naviance and alumni panels, decision-making tools such as field trips and fairs, and confidence-building tools like soft skills groups and hands-on experiences. Don’t miss this chance to enhance your skills and make a lasting impact. Let’s unlock the future together!
Lead Presenter: Felix Hawkins Lawton
Third Culture Kid (TCK) refers to children and teens who have lived a significant amount of time outside of their parents’ passport country(ies) and therefore develop strong connections amongst multiple cultures (Miller et al., 2020). TCKs deal with unresolved and unrecognized grief from moving which can lead to prolonged adolescence, difficulty opening up, and making commitments (Gilbert, 2008). TCKs also experience high rates of ACEs, abuse and neglect (Crossman et al., 2022). I have developed and will share a 6-week small group counseling curriculum for middle school TCKs to promote identity development.
Lead Presenter: Amy Webster
Distance is just one of the roadblocks facing rural students on their path to post-secondary education. While more attention is being paid to rural students – in part to address declining post-secondary enrollment and future workforce needs – the barriers facing rural students remain an issue. This session will discuss research and trends impacting rural students, strategies underway by college access organizations, and the future outlook for rural students and post-secondary education.
Lead Presenter: Sarah Tracy
You may know reading buddies, but let’s talk about breathing buddies! Come see and hear the impact of an action-based research project on how Breathing Buddies Classrooms effects absenteeism and discipline referrals in two elementary schools. This project will be piloted in a summer school setting and then put into place during the 2025-2026 school year. Walk away with program structure, lesson plans, breathing techniques, pre-test questions, feedback from participants, and real time results during the project as it is happening. Come buddy up with me and let’s breathe together!
Lead Presenter: Katie Scott
Join us for a lively session on how we energized our school community to boost executive functioning! We’ll share our school-wide goals and action steps for supporting self-control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, plus engaging strategies, games and activities used in classrooms and beyond. Learn how our “Coffee Talks” empowered parents with tools to build these skills at home. Walk away with ready-to-use handouts, activities, and resources to perk up your own program. Perfect for elementary counselors or anyone looking to stir up success with executive functioning!
Lead Presenter: Jacqueline Smith
This program focuses on best practices for supporting English Language Learners (ELLs) and preventing dropouts. The presentation will cover enrollment practices, on-going interventions, collaboration with stake holders and community partners, and cultural dynamics. A short overview of the current New Comers’ Academy offered to students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE) in HCPS will conclude the presentation.
Lead Presenter: Elena Savina
Today, being a girl brings many challenges. Girls undergo significant physical and physiological changes that may alter their self-perception and relationships with others. They receive many conflicting messages from the media and pop-culture about who they are and how they should look and behave. This presentation will discuss an integrated well-being model for adolescent girls. Session attendees will learn about interventions to foster girls’ healthy habits and body image; emotional well-being; healthy relationships; and identity.
Lead Presenter: Paige Abasolo
Did you know that girl drama actually begins in elementary school? This session will focus on an overview of bullying as it pertains to relational and social aggression. A discussion will occur regarding how the female brain correlates with the need to be social and how this need influences how girls assert their power in groups. Also, the presentation will include ways to support students and parents in a collaborative effort to reduce girl drama.
Lead Presenter: Sarah Ritchie
Join us to learn how Kindness Crews and after-school clubs can boost school culture, spread kindness, and empower students to lead SEL initiatives, creating a positive, connected school community! Learn to establish and lead these groups, collaborate across grades and division-wide resources, and integrate initiatives that foster kindness, empathy, and community engagement. We’ll discuss leveraging resources, shared activities, and division-wide efforts to create a unified approach to SEL, empowering students to lead and spread kindness in schools and communities.
Lead Presenter: Adam Southall
School counselors are positioned to address issues of opportunity, access, and to promote school engagement through data-driven decision making. However, they often work in professional isolation without data-driven practices. Like all educators, they need opportunities to collaborate, to use meaningful data, and to see impact. The return to in-person learning presented school counselors with an opportunity to address school engagement through data-driven decision making. Learn how initiating a PLC for school counselors created opportunities for building counselor collaboration and data use.
Lead Presenter: Robert Martinez
This interactive session introduces school counselors to Polyvagal Theory as a framework for understanding and supporting adolescents’ physiological responses during college and career readiness activities. We explore how autonomic nervous system states impact engagement and how counselors can create neurologically safer spaces that enhance students’ learning experiences. Participants will examine case studies, review ASCA-aligned lesson plans, and learn practical strategies to support students through co-regulation. Leave with worksheets, activities, and an understanding of the neurobiology.
Lead Presenter: Katlyn Kegley
Suicide in young children is a heartbreaking and frightening issue, affecting not only the child but everyone around them. With suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children rising at an alarming rate, what’s driving this trend, and how can school professionals respond effectively? This presentation not only dives into the growing prevalence of suicide in children, but highlights key risk factors as well as offers practical insights for school counselors in order to have participants feel empowered to navigate and recover from these challenging circumstances.
Lead Presenter: Claire Handville
This session explores the critical contributions of school counselors within the VDOE school performance and support framework (SPSF). We will highlight the counselors’ pivotal impact on components in the SPSF including academic mastery and ready for life 3E. This session will tangibly illustrate the value of counseling and how accountability is really the sum of the stories of each individual student. Attendees will gain insights into best practices and strategies for leveraging school counselors’ expertise to enhance school outcomes through strong academic and career plans (ACP).
Lead Presenter: Michele Seibert
Discover new and exciting ways to inspire career exploration with posters for grades K-12. Posters for all age levels will be provided with innovative ways to use them within schools to promote interest and action in the career development process.
Lead Presenter: Diana Virgil
In this session, Diana Virgil, 2024 School Counselor of the Year, highlights the barriers she experienced in her school counseling career and how she opened doors through collaboration, authenticity, and vulnerability. Diana shares how honesty, openness, and transparency enable her personal growth and ensure she shows up for her students. Diana’s personal journey offers lessons in identifying and overcoming obstacles and having the courage to be vulnerable.
Lead Presenter: Danette Jewell
Looking for resources and activities to incorporate with your elementary small group lessons? Join us as we model a variety of methods and resources to make your small group instruction engaging and meaningful for students. We will emphasize methods for fostering connections as we share practical ideas. You will leave with ideas and resources to take back to your school and use immediately!
Lead Presenter: Tracey Leipold
High school students face both physical and mental health challenges that require coordinated support. School nurses spend about one-third of their time addressing mental health concerns, yet are often excluded from school mental health teams. This session explores how collaboration between school counselors and school nurses can bridge service gaps, improve communication, and create a more cohesive support system. A practical framework and real-world examples will guide participants in strengthening interdisciplinary partnerships.
Lead Presenter: Elisa Lewis
In today’s world, environmental issues are all over the news and on the minds of young people. A 2023 survey of youth found that 85% of them were worried about climate change. School counselors have an important role to play as social justice advocates with students for a safer, healthier future. Come hear how you can get involved in this critical issue and create meaningful change that will help mitigate ecoanxiety. We’ll discuss the importance of ecojustice awareness and look at steps you can take. Increase your knowledge and your impact on an issue that affects young people and their futures.
Lead Presenter: Christina Tillery
This session highlights strategies school counselors can use to empower Black girls and promote mental health and belonging in schools. Participants will learn practical, culturally responsive approaches to build trust, amplify student voice, and create supportive environments that foster resilience, advocacy, and wellness among marginalized youth.
Lead Presenter: Julia Moran
Looking for a fun, impactful way to deliver Tier 1 services? Learn how school counselors reimagined a traditional field day into a school-wide event that boosts student engagement, staff morale, and community involvement. This session will explore the counselor’s role, planning strategies, and overcoming obstacles to create meaningful, inclusive programming that supports social and emotional growth.
Lead Presenter: Joshua Mann
Planning a Financial Aid Event can be something that is overwhelming and difficult to process for even the most experienced access professional. This session will break down the barriers and assist access professionals in both urban and rural communities by providing a checklist created to help them plan, prepare, and host a financial aid event. This “plug and play,” multi-step plan begins with forming a committee to organize support and ends with a tool to evaluate and gauge the audience on preparing for future opportunities.
Lead Presenter: Jill Roberson
Join us for an interactive session focused on empowering families to support their child’s growth. We’ll explore practical parenting hacks, strategies for fostering a growth mindset, and tips for emotional regulation at home and school. We’ll also showcase three parent workshops developed featuring these topics, sharing how they were implemented (including data collection, assessment, and funding), as well as offering tips for carrying out similar hands-on programs in your own schools. Let’s work together to make a lasting impact—because it truly does take a team!
Lead Presenter: Lydia Larimore
By integrating counseling, multimedia, AI, and multilingual learning approaches, LEAD 4:Them (Listen, Encourage, Adapt, and Develop) is the collaborative and innovative works of a School Counselor, Instructional Technology Coach, and ESOL Teacher addressing barriers and identifying resources to enhance student success. This presentation champions equity and inclusivity to equip counselors and educators with tangible tools to help ALL learners feel valued, motivated, engaged, and empowered to reach their full potential. Bring your laptop for an interactive, collaborative experience.
Lead Presenter: Rachel Wollenberg
This session will encourage implementing Tier 1 wellness initiatives through workshops for students, including creating and starting a Wellness Week program at your school. Other Tier 1 ideas shared will include, Mindful Mondays, and weekly tips for staff and students as well as creating a parent workshop. We will also discuss and encourage collaboration with Administration, School Counselors, School Social Workers, School Psychologists, Teachers and others in your building. Participants will have the opportunity to enjoy a fun wellness activity.
Lead Presenter: Shelby Lenox
Participants will explore the powerful role of small groups. We will examine how small group settings foster meaningful connections, provide students with the opportunity to address personal, social, and academic concerns in a supportive environment. We will also discuss how data collection and the use of data can play a crucial role in identifying and determining appropriate groups and participants, ensuring the most effective outcome. Through interactive discussions and practical strategies, school-based mental health professionals will learn how small groups enhance overall student success.
Lead Presenter: Kiria Cora
This session is designed to shed light on the often-overlooked voices of those affected by bullying. Led by Kiria Cora, founder of The Cora Foundation and author of “El Grito Silenciado”, this session explores the deep emotional impact of bullying and the critical steps needed to break the cycle of silence. Through personal stories, research-based insights, and actionable strategies, participants will leave empowered with practical tools, including the KOA method (Know, Observe, Action) to take immediate action in their communities.
Lead Presenter: Jackie Scott-Bell
This session is designed to provide school counselors with ideas for applying theory-based techniques in individual and group counseling sessions. Participants will learn how to create positive changes and meet counseling goals using a theoretical framework.
Lead Presenter: Wendelyn Nguyen
Education is a site of collective grief for marginalized students, shaped by generations of systemic oppression and historical harm resulting in the loss of opportunity, identity, and dignity. This session explores how school counselors can act as co-grievers, acknowledging and engaging with grief to foster healing and empowerment. Drawing on critical pedagogy and lived experience, attendees will gain a framework to understand student support through the lens of collective grief and using loss as a catalyst for hope within educational spaces.
Lead Presenter: Julia Taylor
We’ve likely all said it: “Let me know what you need.” While well-intended, research shows that vague offers of support often leave grieving students feeling isolated. Grief has a constant presence in schools, yet many school counselors feel unprepared to respond. This session draws on current research and best practices to help school counselors provide developmentally appropriate, inclusive, and culturally responsive grief support. Leave with tools, strategies, and confidence to support students through all types of loss.
Lead Presenter: Audra Lancaster Boyce
Join in a dynamic presentation and discussion about our role as school counselors and leaders in our school communities. This session will focus on ways we can “level up” our leadership, advocacy, and sharpen our skills towards becoming master counselors. Whether you are looking for an opportunity to hone your leadership skills, diversify your counseling practices, or prepare for ways to advance your career, this session will help you make a deeper, more meaningful impact in your school community!
Lead Presenter: Erin Whitt
Research suggests that incorporating movement and student-led conversation into classroom lessons can lead to greater brain stimulation. In this session, participants will experience the power of Interactive Learning Structures and will leave with strategies to provide intentional student-to-student interaction and meaningful movement during classroom lessons. Real-life examples will be shared highlighting how these strategies have been used to increase student engagement and accountability for learning.
Lead Presenter: Emily Ellinghausen
This presentation will describe the effects of unmanaged stress and anxiety in our personal and professional lives, and detail short and long-term coping strategies that can help us prioritize mental wellness.
Lead Presenter: Joshua Mann
Academics aren’t easy for all–even successful high school students struggle in the new world of higher education. Help students with this interactive game that can be used as an icebreaker or stand alone activity. It’s a great conversation starter and helps students to realize their strengths, resources, and options. Walk away from the session with full resources to play this game with your students as well as ideas to make it work with your unique student population.
Lead Presenter: Kaylei Jones
Are your students struggling with emotional regulation? Are you constantly putting out fires and struggling to feel like you’re making an impact when it comes to student behavior? Let’s get proactive together! In this presentation, you will receive four simple counseling lessons on identifying emotions, unexpected behaviors, and coping tools using Zones Of Regulation as the foundation. When you leave this session, you will have lesson plans, posters, lanyard cards, and supplemental materials ready to take back to your school for implementation.
Lead Presenter: Jim McMullen
In this dynamic and interactive session, school counselors will engage in meaningful dialogue to identify and address barriers limiting professional involvement—both within VSCA and the broader school counseling community. Through collaborative brainstorming and peer-supported reflection, participants will explore practical strategies to overcome time constraints, limited funding, and burnout. In today’s ever-evolving educational landscape, involvement isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential. Participants will walk away with a renewed sense of purpose, connection, and clarity.
Lead Presenter: Alicia Fuse
In this session, two school counselors share their experiences of transitioning between education levels, job titles, and counties. They’ll discuss how they found the right fit in their careers, as well as the fears and challenges they faced. The conversation will focus on the importance of putting yourself first, taking care of your mental health, and navigating career changes with confidence. Join us for an open discussion on balancing personal well-being with professional growth.
Lead Presenter: Corey Eaton
Inevitably, during a high school counselor’s career, a student on their caseload will aspire to play a college sport. If the counselor is uninformed about the NCAA’s eligibility process, this can lead to issues derailing a student’s dreams. This session adds to the counselor’s knowledge about the NCAA eligibility process.
Lead Presenter: Carrie Pearson
Whether you’re new to the school counseling profession, transferring within your district, or stepping into a brand new building, starting over comes with its own set of challenge and opportunities. Join me, a school counselor and military spouse who has transitioned between multiple roles and grade levels, including elementary, middle school and itinerant counseling. In this session, I will share practical strategies, helpful resources, and lessons learned from being “the new counselor” more than once. Walk away with tools to build relationships, being organized, and thrive as you step into your new environment.
National Center for Youth Issues
ATTN: VSCA
P.O. Box 22185
Chattanooga, TN 37422-2185
