As educational practitioners, it is our responsibility to ensure that every student has the opportunity to prepare for and succeed in their postsecondary education. In order to achieve this goal, we must examine and implement effective practices proven to enhance the success of students with disabilities.

Emily Brown
School Counselor Director
Arizona Department of Education

Lisa Livesay
Secondary Transition Specialist
Arizona Department of Education

Discover strategies for overcoming the urge to quit in this empowering session. We'll explore practical tools to navigate the challenging moments in the life of a school counselor, helping you stay motivated and resilient. Learn to recognize signs of burnout, find inspiration in success stories, and create a support network. Leave with a renewed sense of purpose and a plan to conquer moments of doubt and exhaustion, ensuring you can continue making a positive impact on your students and school community.

Melissa Gard
School Counselor
Maryvale High School

Lauren Harrell
School Counselor
Maryvale High School

Communication is key. Learn what type of communicator you are and how to reach across that divide to influence others who communicate in a different way. A combination of communication skills, NLP, improvisation, and psychology will imbue the audience with new skills to make sure their message is heard and productive. Whether between coworkers, students, or bosses this workshop will up your game and allow you to accomplish more with less misunderstanding and confusion.

This program is for anyone that wants to learn more about communication style, conscious communication, and how to get what you want with different personalties.

Kathy Gruver
Speaker/Author/Coach

Exceptional School Counselors tackle the challenge of providing school-wide initiatives, which positively impact overall school climate. School Counselors are in a unique and powerful position to help craft an atmosphere which nurtures students' social and emotional well-being. Research clearly conveys the importance of basic social-emotional skills in this endeavor, including intentional smiling and calling students by name. This session reviews research to support this psychoeducation and provides experiential activities to bring these important concepts to life. Session participants will walk away (smiling) with information and initiatives to bring back to to their school, students, and colleagues!

Rick Albright
Associate Professor
Liberty University

Nick Indeglio
Principal
Downington Middle School

How do we take care of ourselves when we feel like a roasting marshmallow that’s caught on fire? Join us for a discussion on managing and navigating the tough conversations school counselors experience. In a time when each week brings new, at times unprecedented, challenges, what do we, as school counselors, do to process the hurt and gravity of our students' lived experiences? How do we manage our own fear and uncertainty in challenging times? Discussion topics will include school counselor resiliency, burnout, navigating political conversations, parent rights, antiracist practices, and managing relationships.

Katie Mitchell-Dodge
Doctoral Student, University of Arizona
Upper School Counselor, Phoenix Country Day School

Ashlee Welsh
Doctoral Student
University of Arizona

Students often engage in "misbehavior" in hopes of satisfying unmet needs. Unfortunately, such efforts tend to frustrate teachers and disrupt the educational process. Join us as we investigate the goals of misbehavior through the lens of Adlerian play therapy. We will explore easy-to-implement interventions and techniques to help shift misbehavior and support students in learning to meet needs in a productive way. In addition, using Adlerian play therapy teacher consultation skills we identify methods to help adults respond positively to discouraged students who misbehave. Come ready to PLAY!!

Dana Holtz
School Psychologist
Special Education Support Services (SESS)

Are you looking for easy ways to incorporate technology into your classroom lessons to increase student engagement and collect data? Come learn about 3 FREE easy to use tech tools that you can start using immediately! Join us for this hands-on session as we demo how to use Plickers, Mentimeter, and Jamboard as well as send you back to your campus with a plethora of other resources! Appropriate for all grade levels.

Amanda Miller
Lead Professional Learning Specialist
Hatching Results

Many teens receive executive skills support in the counseling office and classroom but what happens when students are getting ready to leave high school? This session will provide counselors with tools and strategies that can assist high school students and their families in "adulting" skills such as living independently, searching for the right college, and preparing for the workforce.

Merri Kae Vanderploeg
College & Career Counselor
Marana Unified School District

Creating a college going culture in a rural setting. The idea of a school club arose from the need for students to explore their options of both in state schools and out of state schools. Our objective is to promote enthusiasm for post-secondary education by allowing students to explore college and university requirements, as well as trade, apprenticeship or internship opportunities and encourage students to work towards receiving scholarships and a post-secondary education, preferably at a low cost, or free of charge.

Zulema Fragoso
School Counselor
2023 Arizona School Counselor of the Year
Nogales Unified School District

Did you know that 1 in 13 (8%) of children in the US will experience the death of a parent or sibling by age 18 and 7 in 10 teachers currently have at least one student in their class(es) who have lost a parent, guardian, sibling, or close friend in the past year? It might feel like you are a Grief Camp Counselor without the resources. Come learn about supporting students through grief, receive FREE resources, and learn how to implement and develop a school and/or district Grief Support team.

Marci Bieber
District Lead Counselor
Peoria Unified School District

We all know the WHY behind data in counseling. In this session we talk about HOW to make data tracking easy. We will break down and show ways to build a student sign in sheet, using google forms, and how to run the data using excel. As well as other various ways you can track data at your home site. We promise it's not as scary as it sounds. Please join us counseling data trackers for a fun data adventure.

Brenda Wilson
School Counselor
Chandler Unified School District

Tyra Ortiz
School Counselor
Chandler Unified School District

Educators are facing more stress and higher burnout than ever before. Based on the book The Happiness Advantage, there are principles that we can utilize to positively impact our personal and professional happiness on a daily basis. This session would focus on learning about happiness research, as well as the relationship between success and happiness. The goal is to acquire knowledge and skills that have proven to promote positivity and happiness, they are within your reach. This session would be appropriate for Administrators and Counselors of all levels.

Crisini Ryan
District Counselor
Chandler Unified School District

Maria Colea-Anderson
District Counselor
Chandler Unified School District

Research has shown the collaboration between school counselors and administrators can have a lasting impact. This program will review suggested ways in which this partnership can be used to improve school counselor role ambiguity and student postsecondary outcomes. Through intentional goal setting and utilizing a recurring check-in meeting process, the two roles can collaborate effectively to achieve shared goals and improve graduation rates.

Sarah Whipp
Educational Researcher and Consultant
Whipp Educational Services

Discover the transformative power of a safe place dedicated to supporting students in developing self-regulation skills in their classroom. Students lose valuable learning opportunities when they are removed from the class to regulate their emotions. In this interactive workshop, we will explore practical strategies for educators, staff, and administrators to establish a schoolwide environment that fosters emotional well-being and increases academic achievement. From tier 1 to tier 3, these strategies support students of all ages, backgrounds, and behaviors. Through activities and discussions, attendees will leave equipped with practical tools and a shared language to promote emotional resilience within the classroom.

Denise Hawk
Social Worker
Desert Star Elementary School

Brittney Downs
Instructional Coach
Cheatham Elementary School

Tired of the angry emails and phone calls? Tired of parents and schools being at odds? Tired of all of the social division creeping into schools without a way to handle it? Tired of EVERYTHING being called "bullying"? Tired of the "same old same old" not working? Chris will show you the simple, fun, laugh-out-loud methods to help unite schools and parents, and help students achieve unbelievable growth in social emotional learning and resilience!


Chris Scheufele
Chris in the Classroom

Join us around the virtual campfire as we explore the transformative power of human validation in the context of suicide prevention. Just like a warm campfire on a dark night, validation provides a source of comfort and connection for those in crisis. In this engaging presentation, we'll venture into the wilderness of suicidal thoughts and emotions, learning how validation serves as a compass, guiding us towards hope and healing. This presentation is for all grade levels.

Dean Gleason
Department Chair of Counseling
Chandler Online Academy

Tina Thelen
School Counselor
Carlson Elementary School

For years we have been telling students to go to college. We are pushing students into college at a 70% clip. However, almost 70% of careers available today don't require a college degree. Skilled trades are in high demand and provide students with a great career! Join Dr. Coyle to learn what those careers are and how to reach more students. You will learn how to get industry involved in your schools and how to get buy in with parents. See what UTI is doing to get girls involved in STEM careers. Learn how students can make school more affordable.

Steven Coyle
National Director Counselor/Academic Relations
Universal Technical Institute

Unpack what it really takes to "Meet Students Where They Are" in this dynamic workshop. Explore the profound meaning of this phrase through activities, discussions, and real-life case studies. Learn how to assess where students need to be met and leave with a practical 4-point strategy – your guiding H.A.N.D.

We'll integrate the transformative techniques of Motivational Interviewing and Solution Focused Brief Therapy, providing you with a holistic and eclectic approach to enhance your school counseling practice. Join us to learn the art of authentic student connections, leaving a lasting impact on their educational journey.

Mariah Reed-Brown
School Counselor
Paradise Valley Unified School District

Why is it important to teach child abuse prevention (CAP)? And how can you adjust lessons to various experiences of kids and teens? CAP brings many benefits for not only youth and families but for society as a whole by reducing childhood trauma. Participants will gain eye-opening facts about child abuse, human trafficking, and athlete abuse, and receive information on free programs and resources, both locally and nationally. All counselors and administrators can benefit!

Zuzana Urbanek
Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe Curriculum Manager
Childhelp

Catherine Beach
Childhelp Speak Up Be Safe Relationship Manager
Childhelp

Equipping our students with the tools to combat the passive aggressive people who control the mood, mental health and relationships in their lives. Learn a three step method to improve your mental fortitude against passive aggression that you can share with your students to better their overall well-being.

Chris Hsieh
School Counselor
Canyon del Oro High School