National School Counseling Week 2024 as established by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) has the theme of “School Counseling: Standards-Based, Student-Focused.” This week will focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems and how students are different as a result of what school counselors do. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.
Grant Wood AEA is fortunate to have two dedicated consultants who provide invaluable support to school counselors throughout the agency. Aimee Hospodarsky supports counselors K-5, while Debra Brokaw focuses on supporting counselors 6-12. Throughout the year, they diligently support school counselors by providing relevant professional learning, assisting districts with system-level work, providing coaching for individual counselors or teams, cultivating a cooperative culture and fostering meaningful connections among colleagues, providing counselors with effective advocacy resources and promotional tools, and aiding in the implementation of the American School Counselor Association model. Their collective contribution has been instrumental in elevating the work of school counselors across our agency.
“School counselors work with all students to remove barriers to learning by addressing students’ academic concerns, career options and social/emotional skills,” said Jill Cook, ASCA executive director. “School counseling programs help to increase student achievement and provide a much-needed resource for students, parents, teachers and administrators. School counselors are integral to student success.”
More than 100,000 school counselors nationwide will be participating in the week’s festivities. Many schools will be hosting special events and activities to call attention to the countless benefits of a comprehensive school counseling program.
How to Celebrate
As part of its celebration for National School Counseling Week, Grant Wood AEA would like to recognize and thank all the school counselors across the agency for their dedication to working towards a “Standards-based, solution-focused” program. Grant Wood AEA School Counselor Consultants Aimee and Debra created this toolkit packed with ways to advocate!
The American School Counselor Association has also created this toolkit to help promote this important week!
Anyone with specific questions or concerns about school counseling programs should contact the school counselors at their local schools. More general information can also be found on ASCA’s website, www.schoolcounselor.org.