October 26-27, 2026
Please join us on either the 26th OR the 27th.
Morning Session 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Afternoon Session 12:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
*School Counselors choose ONE session to attend.
School Counselors from Gwinnett County School District are invited to attend a day of learning and inspiration from featured speaker Carolyn Stone and other breakout session presenters. You can also visit with area youth service agencies and sponsors, who will display information on their available services. Come be refreshed and invigorated to continue the work you are doing. For the full schedule see below.
Also, all schools will receive a COMPLIMENTARY BOOKSTORE VOUCHER to be used to shop at the on-site NCYI Resource Fair.
Click the sponsor logo to learn more about that sponsor.
We’re finalizing an exciting lineup of educators and thought leaders to create a meaningful conference experience. Check back soon for speak annoucements.
School counselors and Principals are powerful allies in delivering strategies that impact critical data elements. These powerful alliances all over the nation have demonstrated through impact data that their collaboration has resulted in moving critical data elements in a positive direction. This presentation focuses on actual school counselor/principal alliances doing practical work to impact the opportunity, intervention, and information gaps. Counselors aligning with principals all over America are reporting hard data to show how students are different because their principal and counselor have partnered to advantage students’ academic success. Data will be presented from school counseling programs that have used an accountability system to impact course enrollment patterns, attendance, promotion/ retention, discipline referrals, grades, standardized test scores and other measurable indicators of success. Participants will identify data goals.
Carolyn Stone, Ed.D., is a Professor Emerita of Counselor Education at the University of North Florida (UNF). Dr. Stone is a Past President of the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) their Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. Dr. Stone was ASCAs Ethics Chair from 2002 to 2022 and chaired the last four revisions of the ethical standards. Prior to coming to UNF, Dr. Stone spent 22 years with Jacksonville, Florida’s Public Schools as an elementary and high school counselor, middle school teacher and Supervisor of Guidance Services for 225 school counselors.
Additional speakers will be announced soon.
Do you have a plan for what you will do when a student doesn’t comply with your request the first time? Second time? How about the third time? Do you go home tired and exhausted from frustration? This presentation will guide you in developing a thorough, preventative plan for handling issues from low level distractions to serious/chronic behaviors. This is a practical, hands-on presentation filled with concrete steps you can use the next day to help students and yourself.
Amie Dean, M.ED., B.A. has worked in education since 1993. She has experience teaching at all levels, and has taught both special and general education. She was with Fulton County Schools (GA) for ten years, where she provided support to teachers and students as the Student Support/RTI Coordinator for her middle school for four of those years. Amie holds a Master’s degree in Education, is Nationally Board Certified as an Exceptional Needs Specialist, and has trained with Dr. Rick DuFour, Dr. Kay Burke, Dr. Spencer Kagan, Dr. Ruby Payne, and many others.
Amie Dean was also certified as a trainer for The World of Difference Institute with the ADL and studied Restorative Circles which helped hone her practice in coaching students and educators with problem solving, communication, and peacekeeping skills. With decades of experience as an educator and a professional consultant, she now provides support to others through training, speaking, and writing. Amie is also the author of many books, including Because You Believe in Me, Your Happy Heart, There’s No Dream Too Tall, 30-Minute Groups: Peaceful Conflict Resolution , 30-Minute Groups: Social Drama and Friendship Skills, and15-Minute Focus: Behavior Interventions: Strategies for Educators, Counselors, and Parents and accompanying Workbook.
Additional speakers will be announced soon.
Tentative
7:30 am – 8:00 am
Check-in
8:00 am – 8:20 am
Welcome and hear from our Sponsors
8:20 am – 9:35 am
Featured Speaker – Dr. Carolyn Stone
9:35 am – 9:50 am
Sponsor Break
9:50 am – 11:00 am
Featured Speaker – Dr. Carolyn Stone
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Lunch on your own, visit Sponsors, and shop at the NCYI Resource Fair
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Afternoon Breakout Session 1
1:00 pm – 1:15 pm
Visit sponsors and shop at the NCYI Resource Fair
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm
Afternoon Breakout Session 2
2:15 pm – 2:45 pm
Visit sponsors and shop at the NCYI Resource Fair
2:45 pm – 3:00 pm
Announcements and Closing
7:30 am – 8:00 am
Check-in
8:00 am – 8:20 am
Welcome and hear from our Sponsors
8:30 am – 9:30 am
Morning Breakout Session 1
9:30 am – 9:45 am
Visit sponsors and shop at the NCYI Resource Fair
9:45 am – 10:45 am
Morning Breakout Session 2
10:45 am – 12:00 pm
Lunch on your own, visit Sponsors, and shop at the NCYI Resource Fair
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Featured Speaker – Dr. Carolyn Stone
1:30 pm – 1:45 pm
Visit sponsors and shop at the NCYI Resource Fair
1:45 pm – 2:45 pm
Featured Speaker – Dr. Carolyn Stone
2:45 pm – 3:00 pm
Announcements and Closing
See the Full Schedule for more details, including available breakout sessions and speakers.
7:30 am – 8:00 am
Morning Session Check-in
8:00 am – 8:20 am
Welcome and Introduce Sponsors
8:20 am – 9:35 am
Featured Speaker – Russ Sabella
9:35 am – 9:50 am
Break and Sponsor Visit
9:50 am – 11:00 am
Featured Speaker – Russ Sabella
11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Shop at the NCYI Resource Fair
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Afternoon Session Check-in
11:30 am – 12:00 pm
Shop at the NCYI Resource Fair
12:00 pm – 12:20 pm
Welcome and Introduce Sponsors
12:20 pm – 1:35 pm
Featured Speaker – Russ Sabella
1:35 pm – 1:50 pm
Break and Sponsor Visit
1:50 pm – 3:00 pm
Featured Speaker – Russ Sabella
3:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Finish Shopping at the NCYI Resource Fair
Each school will receive a COMPLIMENTARY BOOKSTORE VOUCHER to shop the NCYI Resource Fair!
This is an opportunity for you to personally review and choose curriculum, activity and small group manuals, books, videos, DVDs and CDs. NCYI has the newest and best counseling resource materials available from America’s foremost publishers in Classroom Guidance, Character Education, Bullying Prevention / Intervention, Anger Management, Conflict Resolution, Separation Issues, Grief Recovery, Learning Disabilities and Social Skills Training.
National Center for Youth Issues, or NCYI, is a national non-profit organization that publishes and distributes counseling resource materials for schools. In addition to publishing its own publications, NCYI represents over 40 different publishers of educational resources. They also provide training opportunities for educators through on-site training services, as well as regional and state-wide conferences.
