School Counselor Connection

Let's take a moment to celebrate and recognize the hard work of our school counselors, and appreciate the incredible job they do in supporting our students. Without your collaboration with teachers, support for students, and communication with parents, our schools could not function. As we acknowledge School Counselors Week, it's also important to note that February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) month. School counselors play a pivotal role in recruiting and retaining high school students to CTE programs, but there are opportunities to promote CTE for elementary and middle school students as well. Here are some ideas to boost CTE awareness and career exploration for our young students:

1. Use My Future AZ with middle school students. Check out the Middle School Get Started Guide: MFAZ K-8 Student Guide 7.6.2023.pdf
2. Show CTE recruitment videos from local high schools to elementary and middle school students.
3. Elementary and middle school students can take a field trip to tour CTE programs.
4. Incorporate CTE awareness and career exploration into summer programs.
5. Share CTE program flyers during middle school homeroom or advisory periods.
6. Check out ADE’s K-8 Career Literacy website for more resources and ideas. K-8 Career Literacy | Arizona Department of Education
7. To learn more about CTE month visit: CTE Month® – ACTEAZ

School Counselor Connection is brought to you by: Andrea Glenn, Director of Post-Secondary & Community Engagement and Emily Brown, School Counselor Director at the Arizona Department of Education.

For those of you working with students in grades 9-12, Education and Career Action Plans will be due by April 30, 2024. If your plans are complete, you can submit at any time prior to the due date. We recommend logging into EMAC and familiarizing yourself with the EMAC system before the due date to ensure your tasks are submitted on time. ECAPs are required for all public high schools including charters. Plans need to be uploaded in the EMAC system. Please ensure that your current staff is assigned the correct role and anyone that has left your district has been removed. The two required compliance tasks are the Implementation Plan and the Student Sample Plan. Please note that the Student Sample Plan is only required for schools NOT utilizing the My Future AZ platform.

We have compiled a variety of resources to ensure you find success with ECAPs this year.

Questions about ADE Connect

EMAC Administrator Guide

ADE ECAP Website

ECAP FAQ's

ECAP Compliance Video

Sample Implementation Plan

Implementation Plan Template

Every month ADE and Pipeline AZ host virtual trainings for users that will demo the My Future AZ platform, review the types of accounts available, and show how a district/charter/school can continue using the program. Please mark your calendars for our spring 2024 trainings.

We are currently offering two virtual trainings a month.

Returning User Training: Provides a more in-depth overview of the different user types and features of our platform. Time will be given for questions and answers at the end of the session.

February 7

March 6

April 3

May 1

Best Practices/Office Hours: Highlights one feature of our platform and some strategies for implementation. At the end of this session, we will have a question and answer session.

February 8

March 7

April 4

May 2

If your school or district is looking to onboard with My Future AZ, please send an email to MyFutureAZ@azed.gov for next steps.

Save the Date for the 2024 AZ Counselor Spring Training Virtual Event

Mark your calendars for the upcoming Spring Training Event on Thursday, April 25th from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. National and state presenters will offer tools and insight around FAFSA completion, supporting ALL students through an untraditional application cycle, and establishing strategies to celebrate the incredible resilience and hard work of the class of 2024. Register early to reserve your spot!

The EBSCC will be held March 8-9, 2024.

This conference has 3 areas of focus: 1. Identifying Effective School Counseling Program Components and Interventions 2. Using Evidence-Based School Counseling Practices 3. Innovations in School Counseling

For additional details and registration information, please view the flyer below.

Virtual Events: https://www.hatchingresults.com/virtual-events

Use of Data in School Counseling Institute: Virtual learning sessions

March 11, 2024, https://www.hatchingresults.com/uodof-mar-2024

The Use of Data in School Counseling 2e: 7-Part Series:

• Wednesday, March 8, 2024 - School Counseling for Systems Change
  

• Wednesday, April 26, 2024 - Sharing Results and Flashlight Presentations

The Use of Data in School Counseling 2e: Intermediate/Advanced: April 19, 2024

Continuing Education Classes: https://arizona.hatchingorders.com/

Sign up today for the monthly, virtual Lunch and Learn sessions presented by AzCAN and Ask Benji. Each session will be held from 11:30-12:30. Topics include:

February 21: Summer Programs

March 27: ADE ECAPs

Please see the flyer below to get registered.

With the start of the 2023-2024 school year comes the opportunity to embark upon a new year of learning and impacting the lives of Arizona students. Consider taking advantage of one of the most valuable AzCAN member benefits by registering for one or more of the newly redesigned and updated College Access Professional (CAP) Training courses.

If you have not had the opportunity to become an AzCAN member, you can join here for free!

Some noteworthy features of the new CAP courses include:

CAP scholarships are available, and the request is built into each course registration.

• Courses are accessed on the Canvas platform.

• Courses are completely updated and redesigned to meet the needs of Arizona college access practitioners – course content is relevant, timely, and focused on immediate implementation with Arizona students and families, middle school through high school.

• Courses only require a maximum of 15 seat hours to complete.

The 2023-2024 CAP Training Course Schedule is now available and all fall courses are open for registration.

We offer two options for removing the 6 semester hour deficiency from your certificate.

• Hatching Results: Hatching Results partners with California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) to offer courses for school counselors for continued education. These courses allow Arizona School Counselors to complete the 6 semester (credit) hour deficiency to renew their certificates in the three-year window who apply for certification under options B, C, and D.

• AZCAN College Access Professionals Training Courses: AZCAN partners with Lindenwood University to provide CAP Training Courses. Arizona School Counselors can complete the 6 semester (credit) hour deficiency to renew their certificates in the three-year window who apply for certification under options B and C. If using the CAP courses to remove deficiencies, there will be an option to pay Lindenwood University $75 for each course to receive one graduate semester (credit) hour starting January 2024.

Option B: Completion of a graduate program in counseling, social work, or psychology; or Option C: A valid license as an associate counselor, professional counselor, master or clinical social worker, or marriage and family therapist issued by the Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners.

Options B and C require completion of six semester hours of courses in any of the following areas: school counseling, college and career guidance, or academic advising. These courses would fall under the categories of college and career guidance or academic advising.

The courses would not be accepted for the Standard School Counselor certificate under the

Option D: Completion of a graduate program in academic advising. This option requires six semester hours of courses in any of the following areas: social and emotional development, mental health counseling, trauma and disaster counseling, multiculturalism in counseling, theories of counseling, the foundation of school counseling, or child and adolescent counseling.

For additional certificate questions check out the ADE Certification Unit website.

Don't miss out on the ACTEAZ Summer Conference this year! Mark your calendars for July 12-17 in Tucson, AZ. Our School Counselor Track is back and will feature a range of sessions on different school counseling topics. There will also be a school counselor luncheon, a fantastic chance to network and connect with peers. Whether you're a seasoned veteran or new to the field, this conference is perfect for you. We're excited to see everyone again!

In partnership with ADE, the College and Career Competencies (CCCs) Project invites you to tune into the Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 Professional Learning Series, The Skills that Matter: Developing College and Career Competencies in Students. We plan to share various information and strategies to support your understanding and implementation of self-efficacy, assertiveness, and self-regulation.

Registration is required for each session. Please view the attached flyer with details of upcoming sessions and registration links. Sessions will be held on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. Each topic will be a two-part series. Consecutive attendance is encouraged but not required. The trainer will provide a brief overview in Part Two of each series for attendees who could not attend Part One.

Topics include:

Teaching Students Respectful Communication: A Two-Part Series in Assertiveness

• Part One: February 6, 2024

• Part Two: February 13, 2024

For more information or if you have any questions, please email Pattie Noonan.

Discovery Education and Discover are hosting Arizona Day of Discovery: Dollars and Scholars: A FinLit Symposium for Educators at Mesa Community College on March 2. If you're interested in attending, please view the flyer below for the link to register.

Celebrate National School Counseling Week 2024 from February 5th to February 9th! For additional resources, be sure to visit the ASCA website.

National School Counseling Week - American School Counselor Association (ASCA)

Project AWARE is please to announce the Workforce Development for School Mental Health Professionals Grant. This grant provides school districts with funding to meet the unique workforce development needs of school mental health professionals (counselors, social workers, psychologists, nurses) for safe and supportive schools that foster student academic success. To learn more information including how to apply, view the flyer below.

A huge shout-out to our amazing professional organizations in the collaboration of this one-page document outlining the roles of mental health providers within schools. The document was a collaborative effort of the Arizona School Counselors Association, the Arizona Association of School Psychologists, the School Nurses Organization of Arizona, the School Social Work Association of Arizona, and the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. We hope you find this document useful in trainings and meetings with various stakeholders.

Suicide Prevention Training for Schools: All school staff working with students in grades 6-12 must complete a suicide prevention training at least once every three years. AHCCCS has the requirements and approved training programs on their website. Please read more by visiting: Suicide Prevention Training for Schools.
Accessing Behavioral Health Services in Schools: AHCCCS has everything you need to know about accessing behavioral health services. Please visit their page: Accessing Behavioral Health Services in Schools to gain information for schools, parents, universal referral form, approved providers, and more.
School Feedback Form: AHCCCS wants to hear from you and help! Please share your feedback with them on your experience working with community behavioral health providers. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScSjIRzPfSFksMRjwYa6XVchmK471g6Oe7fL0cSURTDaq_Azg/viewform

Do you have students that could benefit from tutoring? Study Smart Tutors is providing through ADE. Tutoring begins Mid-January. Please view the flyer below for more information.

Study Smart Tutors is also looking for tutors. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a tutor, learn more here.

Please see the flyer below on information to share your insights on STEM Competencies. In return for your participation, you will receive access to curriculum modules, professional development, and other resources.

AzCAN and Ask Benji will provide FREE FAFSA and financial aid advising office hours for students and families at the Capital One Cafe in Scottsdale Fashion Square between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm on the following Saturdays:

• February 24th
  

• March 23rd

Please share the flyer below with your teams as well as your networks as widely as possible so that we can encourage students and families to take advantage of this 1:1 FAFSA completion support with trained Ask Benji staff members.

The Horatio Alger Association Scholarship is for students who demonstrate financial need and display integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity. We encourage your students to apply because we believe their possibilities are endless!

Scholarship Eligibility:

• Be enrolled full time as a high school junior in the United States.

• Exhibit a strong commitment to pursue and complete a bachelor’s degree at an accredited non-profit public or private institution in the United States (students may start their studies at a two-year institution and then transfer to a four-year institution).

• Demonstrate critical financial need ($65,000 or lower adjusted gross family income is required).

• Be involved in co-curricular and community service activities.

• Display integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity.

• Maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.0.

• Be a United States citizen.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION IS MARCH 15, 2024 at 12:00 NOON

• Application: Scholarships - Horatio Alger

To request a presentation or more information, please reach out to: Zulema Fragoso

Horatio Alger Field Director for Arizona

School Counselor at Nogales High School

zfragoso@nusd.k12.az.us

Please encourage your students interested in communications to apply for this $1,000 scholarship. Please see flyer below for more information.

FREE to all Arizona high school and home school students. Tuition, fees, books and instructional materials covered. Tribal colleges are fully accredited and meet the accreditation standards ensuring credits can be transferred to other post-secondary institutions. For more information, visit the Tribal College Dual Enrollment Program website.

College Deport is holding a Scholarship Expo on February 1 at the Burton Barr Library in Phoenix. Please share the flyer below with your students and parents.

Better FAFSA resources:

Better FAFSA Resource Hub

AzCAN CAP Courses (FAFSA courses in Spring 2024)
NCAN Better FAFSA Toolkit
Ask Benji Educator Toolkit
Financial Aid Toolkit
ABOR FAFSA Tips
2024-2025 FAFSA Guide

2023-2024 Arizona FAFSA Challenge

Exciting news! We're delighted to announce our second-year partnership with the Arizona Cactus League to boost FAFSA engagement for the high school class of 2024.

The first 750 Arizona high school seniors who complete the FAFSA and submit a spring training submission form will receive four tickets to attend a spring training game this season – a fantastic home run for all!

This promotion kicks off on January 8, with FAFSA submissions accepted before that date. Spread the word about this fun and exciting FAFSA incentive, and help your seniors score tickets to a memorable spring training experience!

Ask Benji is looking for any Spring or Winter nudges that your students/users will want to know. Submit a nudge by completing the form below if you have an event about Vocational & trade school, College, FAFSA, or Career resources!

If you are new to Ask Benji check out their School Resource page to get started.

Check out these amazing scholarships for FFA students and agriculturally related scholarships that your students may be eligible for.

Current Phoenix high school students committed to making Phoenix a better place should apply for this prestigious award. Application is open until February 23. Interested students can learn more on the website.

Make sure you are tracking your school's FAFSA completion progress on Arizona College Connect! The student-level FAFSA data will be accessible in Arizona College Connect in early February. If you haven't yet gained access, it's easy to set up!

· Step 1: Have your principal set up a Data Sharing Agreement

· Step 2: Set up Authorized Users

· Step 3: Access your FAFSA Data

Join the Arizona Board of Regents to learn more about Arizona Decision Day, a statewide celebration in May that showcases the postsecondary education decisions of our state's high school seniors.

This session will explore how Arizona Decision Day empowers students to take charge of their futures by committing to further education. Designed for school counselors, teachers and school leaders, this session will provide participants with a Decision Day toolkit, ideas to celebrate Decision Day on your campus, and ways to showcase the diverse array of educational pathways chosen by Arizona’s graduating class.

When: March 6, 2024, 10am-11am

Register Here: https://asu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMrcO6sqzgiHtO7IGRuY4yyx4UMWy5Zt7Px

Now is the time to Update Primary and Secondary Contacts for Your School or District’s Eligibility Center Account. To find your school’s primary and secondary contacts, visit on.ncaa.com/CCL and search for your school by high school code/CEEB, state, city or school name. Names of the primary and secondary contacts are in the High School Summary section.

• Reminder: Update Your Core-Course List
• Reminder: Upload First Semester Transcripts

National Letter of Intent Signing Period: The National Letter of Intent signing period for Division I and II football (regular period) begins Feb. 7! To sign an NLI, your student-athlete must have a paid Academic and Amateurism Certification account. Click here to view all upcoming NLI signing dates.

Bootcamp attendees can receive the beginning certification needed to start a career in wildfire. This camp will be held in April 2024 and is open for 18-37 year old (some exceptions may be made). Please see flyer below for more information.

If you no longer want to receive these emails, please email me at Emily.Brown@azed.gov

Do you have colleagues who didn’t receive this email? Please use this form to add/update their information in our database.

Email: Emily.Brown@azed.gov
Website: https://www.azed.gov/cte/counselors
Location: Arizona Department of Education
Phone: 602-542-5353

Email: Andrea.Glenn@azed.gov
Website: https://www.azed.gov/ccr
Location: Arizona Department of Education
Phone: 602-364-4799