January 18-20, 2024
The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa
Hilton Head Island, SC 

Palmetto State School Counselor Association logo

January 18-20, 2024
The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa
Hilton Head Island, SC

Join us for the PSSCA Conference
January 18-20, 2024
Register to Attend
Dynamic Speakers
Gain insights, inspiration, and effective plans of action.
Featured Speakers
40+ Exhibitors
Meet with exhibitors to get valuable resources and information for your school.
Register to Attend
Network and be Refreshed
Get a much needed break and find encouragement from hundreds of school counselors across the state.
Register to Attend
Engaging Breakout Sessions
Multiple breakout sessions available to gain insights, inspiration, and effective plans of action.
Register to Attend
Previous slide
Next slide
Palmetto State School Counselor Association Conference logo
Palmetto State School Counselor Association Conference logo
Palmetto State School Counselor Association Conference logo

Don't miss South Carolina's premier conference for school counselors!

Please join us for the 2024 Palmetto State School Counselor Association Conference!​

Learn more about our Sponsors

ACT is a mission-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve education and workplace success. Grounded in more than 60 years of research, ACT is a trusted leader in college and career readiness solutions. Each year, ACT serves millions of students, job seekers, schools, government agencies and employers in the U.S. and around the world.

For more information please contact Chris Lefevre, State Lead at chris.lefevre@act.org or (319) 512-8922.

.

The Alongside app can provide first-line, 24/7 mental health support for every student grades 5-12. Students talk to the llama and get personalized support developed by our clinicians, making it comfortable for students to open up about their specific challenges. Students learn skills to solve their own problems and commit to concrete goals to take action in real life. Severe issues are escalated to counselors during school hours and 24/7 crisis monitoring, often catches silent students. 

For more information please contact Ken Brown, VP Sales at ken@alongside.care or (850) 251-1775.

.
.

Case Study

.

Learn More

DialCare is a virtual and telephonic counseling service. You can give your students ages 11 and older access to mental health assistance no matter where they are. Members can use their phone, tablet or computer for sessions with mental health professionals from the comfort of their home or on the go. Let our mental health professionals help give you peace of mind. For more information contact Becca Bean, Assistant Vice President at beccab@dialcare.com.
.

GoGuardian provides simple, proven solutions to create effective, engaging, and safer learning environments.

Our award-winning solutions are purpose-built for K-12 and work across every grade level and subject area. Designed with privacy and student-teacher connection at the core, GoGuardian, Pear Deck, and Edulastic are trusted by school leaders to create educational environments where every student can thrive.

For more information contact Tracy Clements, Education Strategist, Student Safety & Mental Health at tclements@goguardian.com. or (417) 529-9478. 

Mesa Cloud is a a customized credit tracking and auditing platform with validated state and district graduation requirements.
The Mesa Cloud credit monitoring platform empowers counselors to put students on the best path to graduation. Automating your graduation progress tracking protects students from falling through the cracks. Mesa Cloud makes it easy to: empower overwhelmed counselors, identify transcript and schedule errors, minimize manual entry mistakes and address academic inequity. 

.
.
?title=0&byline=0&portrait=0″ width=”1120″ height=”630″ frameborder=”0″ allowfullscreen=”allowfullscreen”>

Milton Hershey School is one of the world’s best private schools, where qualifying students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade live on campus. Students receive an exceptional educational experience, nurturing home life, college and career readiness support, and comprehensive health and wellness care, including medical and dental services, food, and clothing—with all costs covered.   

For more information contact Sara T. White at 859.517.4811 or WhiteSa@mhs-pa.org.

.
.

Oasis Education helps schools reduce wait times for mental health services by offering same-day Support Counseling appointments with mental health professionals (Noon-3am). We also provide on-demand courses and strategic learning paths that build stress tolerance, growth mindsets, and self-efficacy.

These support services are offered within a highly accessible and secure platform that can be downloaded on any web browser, iOS, and Android device.

Contact us to schedule a demo!

For more information please contact Sam Harper, Co-Founder, Chief Product Officer at (724) 252-4021 or sam@oasisapp.com.

.
QuaverReady is an online program designed to help all students succeed in school. It includes an evidence-based social and emotional learning curriculum and intervention and behavioral resources. For more information contact Colleen Storey at ColleenStorey@QuaverEd.com or (629) 702-7060.
ROX trains female school counselors & educators to deliver evidence-based programs to girls in grades 5-12. The ROX Program for Girls is a co-curricular experience with a 20-lesson curriculum that has been proven effective with more than 40,000 girls since 2006. Curricula focus on: Girl drama & bullying, healthy relationships, social media, body image, stress and coping. 90% of participants report that ROX is the thing they like best about School. Partner with us to empower your girls with ROX! For more information please contact Nancy Willis, Program Director at nancywillis@rulingourexperiences.com. or (614) 783-1058 .
.
SchooLinks is a modern college and career readiness platform that supports districts’ implementation of a comprehensive curriculum and framework to prepare students for the post-secondary pathway of their choice. Containing more than eighty interactive student experiences from interest discoveries, academic planning, and soft skill development – SchooLinks offers internship matching, career mentorship, industry partner management, and more to help districts support holistic postsecondary readiness. Our unified solution supports North Carolina’s initiatives for improved student outcomes and postsecondary readiness. For more information please contact Mike Sandridge, Senior Account Executive at msandridge@schoolinks.com or (410) 596-3833.
.
.

Innovation Guide

.

EXPLORE THE FUTURE YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED
When you join the Army National Guard, you’re joining a team with purpose and setting yourself up for a successful future. You’ll gain job skills and leadership experience, and get a head start on a civilian career. Explore the many ways Guard service can accelerate your path. 

For more information please contact us at (800) 404-2819.

.
.

The South Carolina Governor’s School for Science & Mathematics is a nationally ranked, two-year, public residential STEM high school. Students explore the subjects they love in a diverse, inclusive, and uncommonly supportive academic environment.

For more information please contact Ashley Koontz, Enrollment Coordinator at akoontz@governors.school or (843) 383-3901 ext. 3963. 

.
 
.

Our advisers are based right here in South Carolina, and our loans are exclusively for South Carolina students and parents as well as students attending local schools. We are in the community, meeting with parents, hosting events at high schools and visiting college campuses. We offer families and school leaders trustworthy, transparent and personalized service because we’re truly invested in your and our state. We’ve been helping South Carolina students achieve their goals for 50 years. 

For more information please contact Destra Capers, Director of Outreach at dcapers@scstudentloan.org or (803) 612-5070.

Start College Here, a state-wide initiative of the SC Technical College System, equips prospective students and their influencers with resources about the value of a technical college education and helps them take the first step to pursue that education. With 134,000+ students, 16 main campuses and 64 satellite campuses, and over 1,000 degree and certificate programs, SC’s technical colleges are uniquely positioned to meet Gen Z’s changing expectations of higher education. 

For more information please contact Leah Andrews, Creative Director at andrewsl@sctechsystem.edu or (803) 896-5414

.
.

Digital Posters

.

SCUTA is used by school  counselors and school districts to develop a data-driven, evidence based school counseling program. It follows the ASCA National Model® recommendations and offers confidential, comprehensive documentation and use of time analysis system. It is an invaluable tool for School Counselors who want to do best practice, keep accurate records and develop a data driven school counseling program. 

School Counselors using SCUTA, have the ability to clearly illustrate the nature of their work and school needs with supervisors and stakeholders.

For more information please contact Kathy.

.

The College Funding Coach® was founded in 2002 to help families better understand the complex strategies for paying for college and making higher education more affordable. Since that time, The College Funding Coach® team has been on a mission to help families make the college dream a reality…and still retire one day. 

For more information please contact Mike Russell, Regional Director at (919) 360-8347 or mrussell@thecollegefundingcoach.org.

.
.

The description: Discover the University of South Carolina Beaufort and our three campuses in Beaufort, Bluffton and Hilton Head, South Carolina. We are a dynamic and vibrant academic community serving the South Carolina Lowcountry and beyond. We enroll more than 2,000 students from around the world. USCB is one university with three campuses: each with unique characteristics. Once you know the differences, you will be able to choose your own adventure. 

For more information contact Mack Palmour, Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management at (843) 208-8118 or  mpalmour@uscb.edu.

.

Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) is in almost 1,000 colleges nationwide. It is an elective course that provides unrivaled leadership and management training. It allows students to maintain a regular academic schedule like any other college student while participating in ROTC training both in and out of the classroom. After graduation and completing the ROTC requirements, students will become an Officer serving full-time or part-time while still pursuing a civilian career.

For more information please contact Rich Hutson,4th BDE ROTC Recruitment Operations Officer at (910) 528-4450 or  richard.e.hutson2.civ@army.mil. 

.
.
.
.
.

What does “Building Your Future. Not Your Debt.” mean? It is asking you to let our program provide the education you need to advance your career without incurring any debt. Sounds crazy, right? It’s not. We are investing in your talent and future so that you can grow your career without a heavy financial burden. Our model allows you to focus on learning and growing, not how much it is costing you. Let’s do this together.

For more information please contact Ann Baker, Dean of UFP Business School at ann.baker@ufpi.com or (616) 365-1574. 

.
.

Quick Facts

.

Testimonial Videos

Our purpose is to improve the health of humanity.

Whole-person health is the foundation to being well. Our charge is to make access to quality healthcare easier. Through a thoughtful, human approach and the combination of data and technology, we address people’s physical, social, and emotional needs. By leveraging our local presence and community understanding, we create meaningful solutions to bring humanity back into healthcare.

Because everyone deserves to be well. 

For more information please contact Kris Favers,  at kris.favers@amerigroup.com or (678) 995-9718.

Winthrop University students learn to be critical thinkers, informed citizens, and collaborative problem-solvers. To support this learning, we provide a distinctive general education core that is nationally recognized, a broad array of graduate programs and certificates, and co-curricular experiences that prepare our students to thrive in the communities and career paths of tomorrow. For more information please contact Megan Rolf, Director of Recruitment at rolfm@winthrop.edu or (803) 323-2191.
.
.

SPEAKERS

Pre-Conference Speakers

Makenzie Perkins

Makenzie Perkins headshot

Lisa King

Lisa King headshot

TaReal Kee

TaRael Kee headshot

Pre-Conference Speaker
Thursday, January 18, 2024 | 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

School counselors are uniquely positioned to be front line responders to students presenting in crisis. This workshop is designed to enhance a school counselor’s knowledge on current suicide statistics, explore strategies to provide effective screening, and demonstrate how to create meaningful safety plans. Special emphasis will be placed on empowering student voice through this process.

About the speaker:

Makenzie Perkins, MS, currently serves as the Counseling Specialist for Collierville Schools (TN). In this role she is responsible for coordinating and supervising school counseling, threat assessment, health facility transitions, and crisis response across the district. Previously she served as the Prevention Counselor at Collierville High School, where she helped students and staff navigate mental health concerns and crises at the largest high school in the state.

Makenzie is a National Certified Counselor and earned her Master of Science degree and Clinical Mental Health Specialist degree from the University of Memphis. She is passionate about training professionals in the areas of threat assessment and management, suicidality, school safety, loss and grief, and understanding the everchanging mental health needs of today’s youth.

Ms. Perkins will also be presenting two breakout sessions.

Pre-Conference Speaker
Thursday, January 18, 2024 | 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Although today’s world presents many situations where outrage and adversity reign, we as educators can take an active role in helping students find their voice to advocate for themselves. Self-advocacy is an important skill (and sometimes a tricky skill to teach) that encourages our students to stand up for themselves by expressing their needs/feelings in a way that can be heard. Participants will learn easy-to-implement strategies to use in classroom lessons, small group, or individual sessions. The 3 components of self-advocacy will be highlighted: understanding ourselves, knowing our needs/rights, and effective communication skills. Participants will leave with structured ways to foster a community that encourages everyone to embrace their inner hero. We will also address how educators can advocate for their roles in the building.

About the speaker:

Lisa has worked with students developing and using innovative practices as a school counselor for 20 years. She has won numerous awards in her district and presented her programs at local, state and national conferences. Lisa has authored seven books including her latest book, Be Your Own Hero. Her other books include Mindset Matters, Integrating Growth Mindset In Schools, Academic Advisement Program, Teaching Career Essentials and How to Create A College Day. Lisa attended Tufts University for her undergraduate degree and Georgia State University for her graduate degrees. She lives in Marietta, GA (Atlanta suburb) with her husband and daughter.

Ms. King will also be presenting two breakout sessions.

Pre-Conference Speaker
Thursday, January 18, 2024 | 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. 

School counseling programs must account for the rapidly changing school demographics. Students from multiple backgrounds have a variety of needs that standardized school counseling programs cannot address. Learn how school counselors can practice cross-cultural communication skills, utilize ASCA’s National Model from an equitable lens, identify student needs from an MTSS perspective, and use data to identify and remove equity barriers.

After attending this workshop, you should be able to:

  • Facilitate student and staff discussions regarding race
  • Use the ASCA National Model to Define, Assess, Manage and Deliver a culturally sustainable school counseling program
  • Apply MTSS to address the needs of students from culturally diverse backgrounds
  • Use participation data, ASCA Mindsets & Behaviors data and outcome data to create an equitable school culture
 

About the speaker:

TaRael Kee is an assistant principal at Collinsville High School. He is also currently serving as President of the Illinois School Counselor Association. He recently became a Site-Based Trainer for the American School Counselor Association. As a former school counselor at CHS, he utilized data and technology to push the department to become more innovative, efficient, and inclusive. TaRael is a published author. He was named the Collinsville School District e-Educator of the Year (2017), recognized by College Board in (2018), received the Lindenwood Alumni Spotlight (2019), and was awarded Illinois School Counselor of the Year (2021). TaRael graduated from Lindenwood University with a specialist degree in Educational Leadership in May 2021.

Mr. Kee will also be presenting two breakout sessions.

Keynote Speaker

Tommie Mabry

Tommie Mabry headshot

Keynote Speaker
Friday, January 19, 2024 | 12:00 p.m. 

This session will give strategies to provide a space for students to develop a positive perspective on their formal education. This interactive session will provide educators with real-world insight into how shifting their own perspective on their students, can transform the educational process. By taking a deep dive into what shapes students’ perspectives, educators can better understand the beliefs, values, and experiences of students who have been labeled as “troubled” or “at risk.”

This session will also allow participants to see the importance of being able to build trust with their students.

About the speaker:

Dr. Tommie Mabry grew up in one of Jackson, MS roughest neighborhoods. He was suspended or expelled from several schools due to his behavior. Things started to change for Tommie when he joined an AAU basketball league that traveled around the world. He received a full basketball scholarship to Missouri State University-West Plains and later received a B.A. cum laude in Education from Tougaloo College and his M.A. in Child Development. After his undergraduate studies, Tommie was hired as a teacher by the same Jackson Public School District that had suspended and expelled him many times during elementary and secondary education. He went on to get a Doctorate Degree – an Executive Ph. D. from Jackson State University in 2020 where he majored in Urban Higher Education. Tommie now travels the world sharing his story to motivate and inspire others.

SCHEDULE

PSSCA Conference Members Mingle January 19, 2024

REGISTRATION CLOSED

Advanced Registration Deadline:
Sunday, January 14, 2024

Become a Member

You can save on your conference registration by becoming a PSSCA member! Please visit the PSSCA website and become a member or renew your annual membership. Please contact PSSCA directly for all membership questions.

Supervisor Approval Letter

Do you need help justifying this conference to your Supervisor? Vying for a good funding source can be challenging sometimes. We have created a letter (modeled from ASCA) you can customize to support your efforts to attend the 2024 PSSCA Conference!

Main Conference | January 19-20

Professional / Affiliate Member*

$155

Student & Retiree Member*

$99

Non-Member

$205

Save $20 if you register by November 26th!**

Pre-Conference | January 19

Member*

$60

Save $15 if you register by November 26th!

Non-Member

$95

Save $10 if you register by November 26th!

*Your PSSCA membership must be good through January 20, 2024 to qualify for these rates.

**To qualify for the early registration discount, your registration form AND payment (copy of your purchase order, check, or credit card) must be received or postmarked by the early registration cutoff date.  

Online Registration has Closed

The online registration portal is now closed, but we will be accepting on-site registration at the event. Please bring the Registration Form (see below to download) with your method of payment to the conference.

To pay with a check or purchase order please download the registration form and send it in with your check or purchase order. Registrations cannot be processed without payment. Contact us with questions.

Please Note: If we are forced to cancel the PSSCA Conference because of a “force majeure” event, such as a government restriction on large gatherings that cover the intended size of the conference, then we will issue full refunds of the registrations. Otherwise, our normal cancellation policy will be upheld: There will be no refunds after December 18, 2023. All cancellations before December 18, 2023 will be refunded less a $25 handling fee. The association is not responsible for and cannot give refunds due to problems beyond its control, such as weather and school closings.

On social distancing and other health and safety measures, the regulations/guidelines that apply to hotels and conference centers may change. The PSSCA Conference will conform to all necessary regulations/guidelines that are in place as of the date of the conference.

ACCOMMODATIONS

VENUE & HOST HOTEL:

The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa

Two Grasslawn Avenue
Hilton Head Island, SC 29928

Map

The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa, the Conference’s host hotel, has a conference rate of $123 a night for single occupancy and $143 a night for double occupancy (plus tax and resort fee of $5.00 per night). This rate is good on reservations made by January 4, 2024. Rooms are limited, and may fill up before January 4th cutoff. The conference rate includes breakfast vouchers to use for a full hot breakfast each morning. The resort fee includes a variety of complimentary amenities and benefits, including complimentary Wi-Fi in the hotel rooms.

Reservations can be canceled, without penalty, up to five days prior to arrival date; cancellations made inside of the five day window will incur a one night fee.

Inquiries can be sent to Raquel.D.Wood@westin.com.

You can also book a room by calling (888) 236-2427 or 843-681-4000 ext. 7302. If using the 1-800 number, choose Reservations. Once on the line with an agent mention you are with the Palmetto State School Counselor group.

Palmetto State School Counselor Association Conference January 19-21, 2023 Westin Hotel exterior

Make Hotel Reservations Early! Limited Availability!

VENUE & HOST HOTEL:

Hampton Inn Hilton Head

1 Dillon Road
Hilton Head Island, SC 29926 

Map

Reservation information coming soon.

The Hampton Inn has a conference rate of $119. This rate is good on reservations made by January 3, 2024. Rooms are limited, and may fill up before January 3rd cutoff. 

You can also book a room by calling (800) HAMPTON or 843-681-7900 ext. 7900. Be sure to mention you are with the PSSCA Conference Overflow or the group code “P24.”

Palmetto State State Counselor Association Conference January 19-21, 2023 Hampton Inn exterior

Make Hotel Reservations Early! Limited Availability!

Come Learn and Play!

In the evening, make sure you take time to relax and enjoy the surrounding area. There is so much to do on Hilton Head Island. Visit the Tanger Outlets for shopping at places like Ann Taylor, Coach, LOFT Outlet, or Pandora. Or you can visit Shelter Cover Harbor & Marina for shopping and dining on the water. Eat at the French cage, Bistro 17, or ELA’S On The Water for award-winner views and fresh seafood. Shelter Cove also has shopping at places like A&M Provisions, an upscale food market, and Nash Gallery for handcrafted jewelry, blown glass, ceramics, and furniture. Hilton Head Island has a variety of options for your entertainment.

We hope this conference will educate and equip you to do your job well, and we also hope you will take advantage of the wonderful ways you can relax and be refreshed!

CONTACT INFORMATION

866.318.6294

Fax 423.899.4547

registrations@ncyi.org

National Center for Youth Issues
ATTN: PSSCA
P.O. Box 22185
Chattanooga, TN 37422-2185

Make all checks and purchase orders payable to:
National Center for Youth Issues

The Attendee will receive an email confirmation to the email address provided when their registration is processed. (Make sure to check Junk/Spam folders.) Please allow ample time for processing.

Please contact PSSCA directly with all membership questions.

Sponsors receive attendee contact information.

All intellectual property rights in and to the Palmetto State School Counselor Association (PSSCA)  Annual Conference (“the Event”), the content and all materials distributed at or in connection with the Event are owned by PSSCA and/or the Event sponsors or speakers presenting at the Event. You may not use or reproduce or allow anyone to use or reproduce any trademarks or other trade names appearing at the Event, in any Event content and/or in any materials distributed at or in connection with the Event for any reason without the prior written permission of PSSCA or the presenting speaker.