LANSING, Mich. — The American School Counselor Association has declared Feb. 6-10 as National School Counseling Week. This week of recognition seeks to highlights the tremendous impact that school counselors have in helping students achieve school success and plan for their careers.
In Michigan, this year’s National School Counseling Week is supported by a collaboration between Michigan School Counselor Association, Michigan Association for College Admission Counseling and Michigan College Access Network. This year’s national theme is “School Counselors: Helping Students Dream Big,” and the three organizations are offering incentives to Michigan school counselors who participate in the national social media campaign. Participants must include the hashtags #NSCW23, #Sixtyby30 and #CollegeBoundMI to be eligible for prizes. View the social media prompts and contest details here.
School counselors are certified, experienced educators with a master’s degree in school counseling. They work alongside teachers and other educators to help create an environment where students can realize their potential and set healthy, realistic, and optimistic aspirations for themselves. School counselors work in a partnership with families as they navigate the challenges of raising children in today’s world, focusing on positive ways to enhance their students’ academic and social/emotional development. The combination of their training and experience makes them an integral part of the total educational program.
“Across our state and nation, school counseling programs help to increase student achievement and provide resources and support for students, parents, teachers and administrators,” said Shannon Underwood, MSCA president and a school counselor for Portage Public Schools. “School counselors work to remove barriers to learning and are a vital part of student success in Michigan.”
“School counselors are instrumental in not only the success of our students and families, but the success of our state economy and beyond. As many Michigan employers understand, diversity and inclusion initiatives facilitate economic mobility and participation in the labor force, thus improving the state economy as a whole,” said Sarah Gammans, president of MACAC and director of school counseling at Northview High School. “The role of school counseling professionals contributes, ultimately, to the creation of a diverse and well-prepared workforce of the future. By helping students understand the word ‘college’ as an inclusive word — both in the type of postsecondary institutions available and the people who can go — school counselors can help students dream big and prepare them so those dreams can become their reality.”
“School Counseling Week is a way to recognize the critical role school counselors play in helping to achieve the state’s Sixty by 30 goal,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, executive director of MCAN. “As students navigate college applications and financial aid, counselors are essential in ensuring that all Michigan students — especially low-income students, first-generation college-going students and students of color — understand the wide range of postsecondary opportunities and are supported as they develop and pursue their educational and career goals.”
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.
For more information on National School Counseling Week, visit the American School Counselor Association’s website.
ABOUT MICHIGAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION (MSCA)
MSCA was chartered in 1964 as a state division of the American School Counselor Association, and has developed programs with the objective of providing the most current professional development and assistance to Michigan school counselors. MSCA’s goal is to be the leading advocate for the role and programs of professional school counselors. By demonstrating visionary leadership in developing new and supportive services and programs for members, the MSCA maintains an organizational structure that provides a strong resource base from which to operate. For more information, visit michiganschoolcounselor.org.
ABOUT MICHIGAN ASSOCIATION FOR COLLEGE ADMISSION COUNSELING (MACAC)
Founded in 1970, MACAC is an affiliate of the National Association for College Admission Counseling. It is an organization averaging 1,100 professionals from across the state and region serving students as they make choices about pursuing post-secondary education. MACAC effectively brings together secondary school counselors, college admission and financial aid officers, enrollment managers, independent counselors, and organizations engaged in guiding students through the secondary-to-higher-education transition process. For more information, visit macac.org.
Michigan School Counselor Association, Michigan Association for College Admission Counseling and Michigan College Access Network join together to highlight role of school counselors.