Standing Tall with the ASCA National Model for ALL!

Standing up for each and every student begins with having a solid foundation to stand on. The ASCA National Model (5th Ed.) provides all school counselors with a framework to help drive the work you do. This session will help walk you through the ASCA National Model’s MANAGE component and give an overview of each tool provided by ASCA to help you transform your school counseling practices into a truly “stand up” program.

Crystal Brewer
Retired School Counselor

Quick Wins for Career Exploration: High-Impact, Low-Prep Strategies

High school counselors are tasked with delivering meaningful career exploration while balancing overwhelming caseloads and competing priorities. This session provides ready-to-use, evidence-based “quick win” strategies that can be implemented immediately with minimal prep and maximum student impact. Participants will explore structured, Tier 1 interventions that build career awareness, align with ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors, and support postsecondary readiness for all students. Strategies include classroom-ready mini-lessons, advisory activities, student self-assessments, and systems for embedding career conversations into existing school structures such as intervention blocks and registration. Attendees will leave with plug-and-play resources, sample scripts, and scalable practices that increase student engagement and ownership of future planning—without adding to counselor workload.

Deanna Ford
School Counselor | Duplin County North Carolina

Understanding the Teenage Brain: Implications for Student Behavior

Many of the behaviors school counselors see every day, risk-taking, emotional outbursts, peer-driven decision making, and difficulty with impulse control, are closely tied to the way the adolescent brain develops. During adolescence, the brain’s emotional and reward systems mature faster than the areas responsible for judgment, planning, and self-regulation. This developmental imbalance helps explain why teens can be highly reactive, strongly influenced by peers, and vulnerable to risky choices.

This workshop provides school counselors with a clear, accessible understanding of the basic neuroscience behind adolescent behavior. Participants will explore how brain development influences motivation, emotional regulation, peer influence, and responses to stress in school environments.

Participants will leave with both a foundational understanding of adolescent brain science and practical strategies they can use in counseling sessions, classroom collaboration, and parent conversations to help students regulate emotions, strengthen decision-making skills, and navigate the challenges of adolescence.

Janice Johnson Dowd
Author/Speaker | Four Pages, LLC

Building Strong Connections: The Power of Relationships in Schools

Strong relationships are the foundation of effective school counseling programs. In this session, elementary school counselors Faydrian Jennings-Gilmer, Ed.S., and Dr. Temeka Griffin share how intentional relationship-building with students, teachers, staff, parents, and administrators enhances student success and strengthens school culture. Drawing from their experiences as 3rd–5th grade counselors, they will provide practical strategies to build trust, improve communication, and establish meaningful connections across stakeholder groups. Real-life examples and interactive discussions will highlight how school counselors can position themselves as essential leaders and collaborators within their schools. Attendees will leave with actionable tools to foster positive relationships that support academic, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes for all students.

Faydrian Jennings-Gilmer
School Counselor | Jackson Public Schools

Temeka Griffin
School Counselor | Jackson Public Schools

Financial Aid Funny Business: No Joke, Just Money for the Class of 2026

Cue the spotlight! Helping the Class of 2026 secure financial aid may feel like improv comedy—but this session will give you a tight script. Join the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid and Get2College for the latest state and federal financial aid updates, and what they mean for your students. We’ll break down important policy shifts, clarify common FAFSA confusion (because some plot twists aren’t funny), and review critical timelines for state aid and federal scholarships. Walk away ready to confidently plan college financial aid application completion events, support families with accurate information, and keep your seniors on track to meet every deadline. When it comes to paying for college, timing and knowledge are everything—and this session ensures you’ll deliver both with confidence.

Kiersten Dufour
Director of External Training & Partnerships | Woodward Hines Education Foundation

Jennifer Rogers
Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid

What’s Beneath the Behavior? Trauma-Informed Tools for School Counselors

School counselors are often called in when behaviors escalate—but what if those moments are invitations for deeper understanding? This session helps counselors explore what’s beneath the behavior using a trauma-informed, brain-based lens. Participants will learn how to reframe disruptive behaviors as communication, recognize the impact of stress and trauma on student responses, and implement practical strategies that support regulation rather than punishment. This workshop equips school counselors with real-time tools, language, and confidence to stand up as leaders who bring clarity, compassion, and effective support to both students and staff.

Megan Hamm
Founder/Clinical Director | Time For A Change Counseling, LLC

Closing the Gap: Turning Data into Action that Changes Student Outcomes

In this session, we will help school counselors identify real student gaps and create targeted interventions that will produce measured results. Participants will leave knowing they can create their yearly goals giving them a blueprint for demonstrating their yearly data and how their counseling program affects student achievement.

Cassandra Holman
School Counselor | St. Martin Middle School

Karla Fox
School Counselor | St. Martin Middle School

CTE: Not Your Dad’s Vo-Tech Anymore

Career Technical Education (CTE) has evolved into much more than what was once known as vocational education. Today, CTE offers a wide range of opportunities for both students and schools. This session will highlight the key changes in the CTE field and demonstrate how these programs can provide students with a valuable head start on their future careers. Additionally, the session will explore how CTE programs can positively impact a school’s accountability rating and overall success.

Rebecca Wages
CTE Counselor | Jackson County Technology Center

The Power of Fun: Exploring a Superhero Friendship Group

Superheroes have long captured the imagination of kids and adults alike, but it is often their friendships and alliances that truly define their stories. This conference session will delve into the unique dynamics, challenges, and narrative potential of superhero friend groups for elementary students. We will explore how collaboration, loyalty, conflict resolution, and diversity shape these groups, providing inspiration and lessons for real-world teamwork, skill development, and community building.

Amanda Winburn
Professor | University of Mississippi

Melanie Burgess
Associate Professor | University of Mississippi

Stop Doing It All : Protect Your Role Through Use-of-Time

School counselors volunteer, are assigned, or inherit tasks that fall outside the roles identified as most impactful to positive student achievement. The challenge is not avoiding work, but ensuring the ability to deliver comprehensive, student-centered services. This session focuses on how counselors can avoid being assigned less effective tasks by proactively defining, communicating, and reinforcing their role.

The focus will be on practical strategies, the use of data and calendars, and clear, professional communication of two-way expectations with the administration. Participants will leave equipped to advocate for high-impact counseling practices that support student success.

Shannon Fleming
Mental Health Manager | Kids First

The Masks We Wear: Helping Students Be Their Most Authentic Selves

Is this mic on? Today’s students are performing 24/7, but their “digital set” often bombs compared to real life. No rehearsed material here — just real talk! In this session, we're pulling back the curtain on the masks students wear across social media and real life, and trust us, the material writes itself. Students today are performing for wildly different audiences — and the disconnect is no joke. We’ll explore the root causes behind students’ identity inconsistencies—because let’s face it, some of them deserve an Oscar for switching roles between social media and third period math. We’ll break down the concept of congruency (no geometry required!) and how helping students align who they are on screen and off stage can boost authenticity, confidence, and overall well being. Prepare for insights, a few laughs, and ideas you can use the very next day!

Heath Stevens
School Counselor | Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science

Shelle Bates
School Counselor | Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science

Teaching Hope: Practical Strategies to Build Resilient, Future-Focused Students

This session equips teachers and/or school counselors with practical, research-based strategies to intentionally build hope in students. Grounded in the science of hope (goals, pathways, and willpower), participants will learn how to integrate hope into everyday interactions, classroom instruction, and student support practices. The focus is not on motivation as a feeling—but on hope as a teachable, measurable skill that drives engagement, resilience, and long-term success.

Shea Hutchins
Chief Solutions Officer | Canopy Children's Solutions

Rewriting the Script: Misdiagnosis and the School-to-Prison Pipeline

Black youth, particularly Black boys, are disproportionately misdiagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), leading to punitive discipline, special education misplacement, and increased interactions with the juvenile justice system. This workshop explores the systemic biases fueling these misdiagnoses and their role in the school-to-prison pipeline. Participants will leave with practical counseling strategies, advocacy tools, and school-wide interventions that help counselors shift from punitive responses to supportive approaches that affirm student dignity, identity, and potential.

Bernell Elzey
Teaching Faculty/Clinical Director | Antioch University/Conscious Therapy and Wellness, INC

Delarious Stewart
Assistant Professor, Counseling | East Texas A&M University

Building the Bridge

During this session, participants will hear how the Oxford School District uses student voices about their intended next steps after high school to better serve support them through their senior year. Using quick, student surveys about intended next steps, the school district

The session will cover the intentional ways the district is creating "touch" points from 6-12 grade in order to build out a comprehensive support system for students that involves counselors, career coaches, administrators, teachers, and business/industry partners.

Duncan Gray
Director of Community and Workforce Development | Oxford School District

Stand Up: Amplifying Counselor Advocacy & Impact

School counselors are essential leaders in student success, yet their impact is often misunderstood or minimized. This session invites counselors to stand up for their role, elevate their voice, and confidently advocate for student mental health and comprehensive counseling programs. Grounded in the ASCA National Model, participants will explore advocacy, leadership, and collaboration strategies that strengthen school climate and promote student wellness. Attendees will leave equipped with practical tools to articulate their value, influence systemic change, and take the mic as visible leaders in their schools and communities.

Bernell Elzey
Teaching Faculty/Clinical Director | Antioch University/Conscious Therapy and Wellness, INC

Breanne Bourque
Belle Place Middle School

Big Behavior Ain’t Random: Stop Reacting, Start Reading the Pattern

Every behavior is speaking. The question is—can you hear it? And can your system respond with you?

Big behavior isn’t a solo problem—and it’s not a solo solution. Too often, counselors are left holding the hardest moments alone, reacting in real time without the team, tools, or alignment needed to respond effectively.

This session shifts the work from individual reaction to collective precision. Participants will learn how to read behavior through a function-based lens, align adult responses across teams, and move from crisis management to coordinated intervention.

Through case-based analysis, live problem-solving, and structured collaboration, you’ll practice how to build shared understanding, distribute responsibility, and ensure students get what they need—without becoming a system of one.

Because when behavior escalates, the question isn’t just “what’s happening?”

It’s “who’s responding—and are we aligned?”

Darian Jones
Managing Director | The Jones Edge

Beyond the Game: Helping Student-Athletes Navigate College Pathways

High school counselors play a key role in helping student-athletes reach the next level beyond what coaches alone can provide, yet navigating college athletics can feel like a game with unclear rules. This session breaks down what counselors need to know to confidently support students pursuing NCAA, NAIA, and NJCAA opportunities. Participants will explore eligibility requirements, recruiting realities, and Mississippi institutions offering these pathways.

We won’t stop at getting students there—attendees will also gain insight into what happens once athletes arrive on campus, including academic expectations, compliance, and the support systems designed to help them thrive. By combining real-world experience from Get2College and Mississippi College Athletics Department, this session equips counselors with practical strategies, essential resources, and meaningful conversation starters to better guide student-athletes and their families every step of the way.

Chelsea Williams
Coordinator of External Training & Partnerships | Woodward Hines Education Foundation/Get2College

Marcy Hutton
Mississippi College Athletics Department

Stand Up for School Counselors: The Coping Skills Cafe Experience

"Serving up strategies for calm minds and confident students-one course at a time."

Step into the Coping Skills Cafe, where school counselors serve up practical, engaging, and student-friendly coping strategies in a memorable four-course dining experience format. This interactive breakout session will walk participants through how to design and implement a dynamic whole group lesson focused on coping skills for elementary students.

Attendees will experience the lesson exactly as students would-complete with themed "courses," visuals, student engagement strategies, and extension activities. By the end of the session, participants will leave with a structured lesson plan, implementation tips, and ideas for adapting the concept across grade levels.

Marsha Foster
School Counselor | DeSoto County School District

Meghan White
School Counselor | DeSoto County School District

Data for the Win!

School counselors stand up for students in big and small ways everyday. Data is how we can show the impact of the work we do while ensuring equity and access for all. Data also allows us to advocate for systemic change that can lead to better outcomes for each and every student we serve. So how do we collect, analyze, and report out data as part of our comprehensive school counseling programs? This session will focus on collecting data, utilizing data to drive the work you do as a school counselor, and reporting out data to education partners to drive positive change in your school community.

Crystal Brewer
Retired School Counselor

From Punishment to Repair: Trauma Informed Discipline That Works

Many student behavior challenges are rooted in stress, trauma, and unmet regulation needs, yet schools often respond with removal rather than intervention. This session introduces school counselors to trauma informed, restorative, and SEL aligned discipline strategies that strengthen accountability while keeping students connected to learning. Participants will explore how trauma affects behavior, how misinterpretations escalate discipline, and how counselors can lead schoolwide shifts toward regulation, repair, and skill building. Through case examples and guided practice, attendees will learn how to implement restorative conversations, regulation supports, and relationship centered responses that reduce repeat incidents and improve school climate. The session emphasizes practical, counselor led strategies that can be implemented immediately within existing school systems.

Delarious Stewart
Assistant Professor, Counseling | East Texas A&M University

Canopy Anywhere

Canopy Anywhere equips students with weekly lessons to build hope, strengthen resilience, and take meaningful action toward their goals. This breakout session will provide an overview of the Canopy Anywhere grant program, explore Canopy’s Hope Highway © curriculum, share outcome data and insights to date, and highlight what’s ahead as the solution continues to grow. Through real-time insights, coordinated care with parental consent, and early connection to the right level of support, Canopy Anywhere is helping create stronger outcomes and brighter futures for children and families across Mississippi. In 2025, Governor Tate Reeves approved funding to support the launch of Canopy Anywhere in 29 Mississippi school districts. This initiative is made possible through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant-CARES Act Program administered by the Mississippi Development Authority.

Carla Lewis
Chief Transformation Officer | Canopy Children's Solutions

Oswago Harper
Canopy Children's Solutions

Take The Mic To Share With Parents

You're familiar with the proverb, "It takes a village to raise a child." Successful parenting starts with good communication. Hence, our job as school counselors includes advocating to raise our children together - moving the school to work alongside parents, not for them or in place of them. Join us as we explore how to partner with parents in raising the current generation. Key takeaways include: how to build rapport with parents from the start, getting parent signatures from all parents, and clearly communicating and executing your school's mission.

Tabitha Greer
School Counselor | Byhalia Middle School

Vibe Coding for Counselors: Automate Your Way Back to Students

The role of the school counselor is to be a "headliner" for students, yet administrative "backstage" tasks often steal the spotlight. This session introduces "Vibe Coding"—a revolutionary approach where if you can describe a tool in plain English, you can build it. Using free platforms like Google AI Studio and Bolt.new, we will move beyond basic ChatGPT prompts to build functional, custom apps that solve real counseling headaches. Whether you are tech-averse or a digital native, you will learn to "vibe code" everything from student check-in dashboards to automated scholarship matchers. We will demonstrate how to build these tools for free, integrate them with Notion and Google Workspace, and—most importantly—ensure strict student privacy. Stop waiting for the "perfect app" to be invented; learn to build the one your students need today. Handle the "how" so you can get back to the "who."

Jennifer Barrett
Lead Counselor | Jackson Public Schools

From Referrals to Results: Using MTSS to Fix Discipline Systems

Schools continue to rely on office referrals and suspension even when data show these practices do not improve behavior or outcomes. This session equips school counselors with a practical, MTSS aligned framework for transforming discipline from a reactive system into a proactive, skill building support structure. Participants will learn how to use discipline data to identify missed intervention points, design Tier 1, 2, and 3 supports for behavior, and implement tools such as fidelity checklists and targeted SEL interventions. Real school scenarios will be used to demonstrate how counselors can reduce repeat referrals, improve classroom engagement, and support administrators in building sustainable systems. The focus is on actionable strategies that counselors can take back to their schools and implement immediately.

Delarious Stewart
Assistant Professor, Counseling | East Texas A&M University

From Mandate to Momentum: Turning Career Requirements into Real Student Pat

Mississippi counselors are being asked to do more than ever — higher caseloads, Bridge-to-Career course requirements, and the pressure to document work-based learning in ways that hold up to scrutiny. All while trying to have meaningful conversations with the students who need you most.

This session introduces Pathful and Pathful Planner — a K–12 career readiness platform that takes the administrative weight off counselors and puts real career exploration tools in students' hands. You'll see how Pathful aligns to Mississippi's Bridge-to-Career framework, how Pathful Planner supports 4-year academic and career planning (including IEP transition documentation), and how the counselor dashboard gives you at-a-glance progress monitoring without a single spreadsheet.

Presenter Michael Bailey is a former classroom and Special Education teacher who knows firsthand what counselors are up against. Come see how the right tools can shift your role from data entry back to mentorship.

Michael Bailey
Sales Manager | Pathful

I Got 99 Problems But a Lesson Ain't One

This high-energy, hip-hop-inspired session helps school counselors move beyond “random acts of guidance” to design intentional, engaging lessons. Framed like an album, it offers a practical framework with clear objectives, strong flow, and interactive strategies. Participants will see live demos and leave ready to create inclusive, high-impact lessons that boost engagement and outcomes.

Robert Crawford
School Counselor | Eastside John P. Powell Magnet School

Stand Up & Supervise: So You Want to Be a Site Supervisor?

This session is intended for practicing school counselors interested in serving as site supervisors for master’s-level counseling students. Participants will strengthen their supervision skills by examining foundational supervision models and learning to apply theory to daily practice in K–12 settings. The session will clarify the site supervisor’s role, set expectations, and prepare both supervisors and counselors-in-training for ethical, supportive, and developmentally appropriate supervision.

Attendees will learn how to supervise the implementation of evidence-based, research-informed school counseling interventions to ensure alignment with comprehensive programs. The session will provide practical tools and resources for supervision planning, documentation, and feedback.

This session is ideal for school counselors and counseling directors who want to mentor future professionals, enhance their supervisory skills, and help prepare the next generation of school counselors. Graduate students (e.g., school counselors in training [SCITs]) are encouraged to attend.

Kenya Bledsoe
Associate Professor | The University of Mississippi

The Adolescent Brain in the Digital Age: Social Media and Mental Health

Digital platforms are designed to capture attention and deliver fast, variable rewards. For many adolescents, heavy use of social media, gaming, and streaming activates the same dopamine-driven reward system involved in addictive behaviors. In schools, this often shows up as sleep disruption, attention problems, mood instability, irritability, and impulsive decision-making.

This workshop translates current neuroscience into practical strategies that school counselors can use to better understand and support students growing up in a high-stimulation digital environment. Participants will learn how variable-reward technology (notifications, infinite scroll, and autoplay) shapes attention, motivation, and emotional regulation in developing brains.

Practical, developmentally appropriate interventions will be discussed, including helping students build healthier digital habits, strengthening impulse control, supporting attention and emotional regulation, and addressing technology-related stress. Participants will leave with a clear framework and practical tools for helping students navigate technology use while protecting mental health and learning.

Janice Johnson Dowd
Author/Speaker | Four Pages, LLC

Connecting the Dots: Building a K12 Career Connected Ecosystem

The Mississippi Department of Education’s Office of Career, Technical and Workforce Education and Office of Curriculum and Instruction will jointly explore how a career connected K12 system takes shape when Workforce Development, College & Career Readiness, and Individual Success Plan (ISP) resources work in unison. This session will break down the components of the K12 Workforce Development Model and illustrate how the ISP, combined with tools and supports across departments, creates a seamless pathway for students as they explore careers, build relevant skills, and prepare for postsecondary opportunities. Participants will see how these elements support educators, counselors, administrators, and district leaders in implementing future focused strategies that promote student agency, informed decision making, and successful transitions beyond high school. Real world examples and practical planning tools will be highlighted to help schools design or enhance a K12 career connected approach that meets the needs of every learner.

Jana' Slay
Director of K-12 Academic Counseling Programs | MDE Office of Curriculum & Instruction

Amanda Tullos
Mississippi State University/Mississippi Department of Education

They're Not Lazy: Reframing Academic Motivation

In middle school, there is always a complaint of students being “unmotivated” or “lazy”. When in all actuality, these students are suffering from a lack of or underdeveloped executive functioning skills. This session will address these labels while reframing academic motivation through a brain-based, developmentally appropriate lens and equip counselors and educators with practical strategies to support students with the transition from elementary to middle school. There will be a focus on organization, task-initiation, time management and follow-through skills. The participants will explore counselor-led interventions that can be implemented immediately to support executive functioning and the impact it has on motivation in middle school students. They will learn how to implement these skills through the individual, small-group and classroom lessons.

TaLaceia Lamb
School Counselor | Colmer Middle School

Brittany Peresich
School Counselor | Colmer Middle School

Supporting Students Through the College Portal Experience

This session focuses on guiding students through the complexities of college online portals. Many students struggle to access essential resources, complete tasks, and manage their academic progress due to unfamiliarity with portal navigation. Our interactive workshop will provide actionable strategies, live demonstrations, and troubleshooting tips to help students confidently use college portals. Attendees will leave equipped with practical skills to access coursework, schedules, financial aid information, and campus services, ensuring a smoother college experience.

Shannon Grimsley
Assistant Director of External Training and Partnerships | Woodward Hines Education Foundation

Jenny Hurt
Northwest MS Community College

From Surviving to Standing Up: Counselors as Healers in a System That Hurts

We’ve mastered managing crisis—now it’s time to build something better.

Counselors have become experts at holding it all together—de-escalating, responding, stabilizing. But survival isn’t the goal.

This session invites a shift—from trauma-informed awareness to healing-centered action.

We’ll examine how systems can unintentionally keep students and staff stuck in cycles of reaction, and what it takes to move toward restoration, identity, and joy. Participants will explore how to center relationships, culture, and meaning—not just behavior and compliance.

Through reflection, storytelling, and collective dialogue, you’ll identify what healing actually looks like in your context—and how to begin building it into daily practice.

Because managing crisis keeps people afloat…

but healing is what helps them rise.

Darian Jones
Managing Director | The Jones Edge

Stand Up & Advocate: Tiered Strategies for School Counselors

This session is grounded in the ASCA National Model (2025) and the ASCA Tiered Advocacy Framework. Although school counselors are expected to advocate, the literature lacks clear definitions and practical tools to support student and professional advocacy (Berger et al., 2022; Goodman-Scott et al., 2022). The session examines Tier 1 (Prepare and Engage), Tier 2 (React and Respond), and Tier 3 (Implement and Support) strategies to strengthen counseling programs, align initiatives with school goals, use data to demonstrate impact, and foster partnerships. Through real-world examples and case studies, participants will acquire practical, research-based tools to enhance advocacy and promote meaningful K–12 change.

Kenya Bledsoe
Associate Professor | The University of Mississippi

High School [Counselor] Musical: A College Planning Odyssey

No joke — college advising can feel like a tough crowd! But at MSMS, we've developed a routine that's had students “headlining” at Ivy League institutions, MIT, Caltech, U.S. military academies, and beyond. Now, it’s time to Stand Up for School Counselors and polish your own routine. We’re sharing the set list for our high-impact advising process. Join us for a walk-through of our one on one senior meetings, our mandatory “portfolio playlist” (short answer questionnaire, resume, and Common App style essays), and the personality and values improv we use to help students find their best fit colleges. We’ll also workshop how to help students "show, don't tell" their stories for a standing ovation, plus tips for writing counselor recommendations that are total mic drops. No hecklers allowed, and trust us, the punchlines are acceptance letters!

Heath Stevens
School Counselor | Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science

Shelle Bates
School Counselor | Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science

Beyond Labels: Supporting Our Special Populations Through School Counseling

All of our students are special, but some face unique academic, social, emotional, or environmental challenges. Our role as school counselors is to help ensure that these students receive equitable access to support services. In this session, we will look at the unique needs of different special populations that include: students in the foster care system McKinney-Vento students, LGBTQ+ students, English learners, and students with IEPs and 504s. We'll focus on how school counselors can provide inclusive services and interventions, as well as strategies to collaborate with teachers and families and exploring opportunities for advocacy.

Brittany Peresich
School Counselor | Colmer Middle School

TaLaceia Lamb
School Counselor | Colmer Middle School

When it’s Not Clear: Ethical Dilemmas in School Counseling

School counselors are often faced with complex situations that require ethical decision-making, professional judgment, and adherence to established standards. This session explores common ethical dilemmas encountered in school settings and examines the responsibilities of school counselors in complex situations. Participants will engage in real-world scenarios, collaborative discussion, and practical strategies to strengthen ethical decision-making and protect student well-being.

Tajuana Williams
Director of Mental Health | DeSoto County Schools

Ebonee Magee-Dorsey
CTE Counselor | Lawerence County Technology & Career Center
Chair | Magnolia State School Counselor Association

The Peer Helper Show: Connection, Laughter & No Empty Seats

Ladies and gentlemen — welcome to the show nobody warned you about.
Every day, students walk into school feeling invisible. Some stop showing up. And the punchline nobody's laughing at? They are talking — just not to us.

This is your standing ovation moment. When schools lead with laughter, lean into fun, and make connection the headliner, something remarkable happens — students light up, walls come down, and belonging becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Through Peer Helpers, students become the stars school culture — noticing, reaching out, and referring before anyone slips through the cracks. When joy is intentional and connection is contagious, everything changes. Attendance climbs. Engagement explodes. School becomes somewhere students genuinely want to be.

Come for the laughs. Stay for the transformation. Leave with strategies you can use Monday morning.

The best counselors don't just hold the mic — they hand it to their students.

Kelly Richards
Director of Curriculum | ThriveWay

Building Calm in a World Full of Triggers

This session is an insightful, research-informed lesson designed for parents and educators who seek practical tools to support adolescents in developing emotional self-regulation. This presentation explores how the developing brain processes stress and emotion, explains the neurological roots of “big feelings,” and highlights strategies adults can use to foster resilience and calm in young teens.
Through clear explanations of brain functioning and healthy regulation, paired with visuals of key brain regions involved in emotion and impulse control, this session bridges neuroscience and everyday practice.

Charlotte Armstrong
School Counselor | DeSoto County Schools

Alana Carlisle
School Counselor | DeSoto County Schools

Stopping the Spiral: Teaching Teachers to Intervene in Student Escalation

Student behavior escalation follows predictable patterns, and when educators fail to recognize the stages, school counselors become reactive interventionists. This session equips school counselors with tools to train teachers to identify escalation stages and respond effectively at each level. Participants will explore a practical escalation framework and learn interventions to match each stage. Focus will be placed on preventing power struggles, recognizing early warning signs, and implementing classroom-based strategies to support emotional regulation.

Through real-world examples and application activities, counselors will leave prepared to lead staff training that builds confidence, reduces classroom removals, and supports student emotional and behavioral needs.

Shannon Fleming
Mental Health Manager | Kids First