Our 21st annual UFT School Counselors Conference on Saturday, March 22, will offer a variety of informative professional development workshops. When you register, you'll select one workshop to attend in the morning and another in the afternoon.

Read below to learn more!

Morning workshops (10 to 11:15 a.m.)

Bounce Back! Teaching Resilience to Help Students Thrive
Target audience: Elementary school counselors

This workshop will show attendees how to name key differences between legal provisions under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) for students with disabilities until age 21 or when they leave high school and legal provisions for people with disabilities under the ADA. Walk away with resources you can use to support transition planning and identify ways you can foster self-determination and independent living skills at any age.

How to Feel Empowered as a School Counselor
Target audience: All levels

What does it mean to be your own brand of school counselor? Your brand is about your identity and character as a human being and the messages you want to convey to the people around you. In this session, you’ll hear from a communications director-turned-middle school counselor who has developed her personal brand. Workshop attendees will participate in STAR, a personal branding exercise designed to identify strengths, traits, aspirations and resiliencies. Build the confidence to project your expertise and create a portfolio, website, LinkedIn page and "elevator pitch" video that spotlights your unique brand as a counselor.

Prioritizing Your Routine to Unlock Your Full Potential
Target audience: All levels

School counselors are the heart and ear of the school and support the entire school community. We need to effectively plan and prioritize our daily interactions, including prioritizing ourselves, so that students can improve and achieve. In this session, participants will explore simple ideas and use tools to leverage sustainable practices.

Schooling Schools: Right-Sizing Trauma Theory and Social-Emotional Learning in Schools
Target audience: All levels

The emphasis on trauma and mental health in education has become overwhelming in recent years, often undermining cognitive learning and emotional regulation. This workshop addresses the need to recalibrate our approach, advocate for a return to foundational educational principles that trust educators and empower students to navigate challenges independently. Participants will explore how to balance essential mental health supports without excessive intervention, ensuring that students can thrive academically and emotionally.

Join Misha Thomas, M.Div., an educational consultant and TCIS instructor at Cornell University, to engage in this critical conversation about fostering resilience and effective learning in schools while developing a practical plan for meaningful change.

Student Mental Health, Skills and Resources
Target audience: Middle and high school counselors

Join presenters from the National Alliance on Mental Illness-New York City Metro (NAMI-NYC) for a conversation about student emotional and mental wellness. Participants will learn about free presentations NAMI-NYC offers for students, parents, guardians and school staff. Learn ways to improve your emotional and mental wellness and focus on normalizing mental health conversations to reduce stigma and improve health.

Our presenters have lived experience with mental conditions and will share personal experiences and demonstrate the importance of open communication about mental health. This session includes the opportunity to engage in conversations about mental health challenges that students can experience. You’ll also receive a new product from NAMI-NYC: Mental Health and Young People: A New York City Guide, a special toolkit that contains resources to address the unique challenges that young people in our city face.

What to do When Challenging Behavior Happens
Target audience: All levels

In this session, we will explore how to address challenging behaviors and define what behavior means and communicates. Participants will review proactive strategies that they can use to manage challenging behavior and identify strategies to use. 

Working With Families of LGBTQ+ Youth
Target audience: All levels

Knowing how to engage and have productive conversations with parents and families of LGBTQ+ young people can be a challenge, and it can be hard to know where to even begin. This interactive and discussion-based workshop will review some of the many reactions and common worries that caregivers, parents and guardians may have when a young LGBTQ+ person in their life comes out. We will also look at recommended best practices for creating a safe environment for LGBTQ+ youth in your school.

Afternoon workshops (1:15 to 2:30 p.m.)

Behind the Screen: Understanding Sexting, Sextortion and the Digital Dangers Youth Face
Target audience: All levels

This session will address the critical topics of sexting and sextortion as key emerging trends affecting youth today. We explore the dynamics of sexting, its risks and effective prevention messaging. In addition, we dive into the alarming rise of sextortion, uncover predator tactics, emphasize victim impacts and highlight strategies for prevention and support. Attendees will leave with actionable insights and resources to better understand and combat these pressing issues in an ever-evolving digital landscape.

Brain Basics: How to Regain a Calm and Focused Mindset in Times of Big Emotions
Target audience: Elementary school counselors

When was the last time emotions got the best of you and you “flipped your lid?” Every day, we encounter moments that trigger strong emotions, and sometimes, those emotions can take over. In this interactive session, we’ll dive into the science behind our amazing brains and explore easy-to-implement strategies to teach students how their brains function. You’ll leave with practical coping skills, ready-to-use resources and actionable tools to help students navigate big emotions and regain a calm, focused mindset. Leave with strategies you can put into practice right away!

Promoting Positive Behavior in Young Children
Target audience: Pre-K to third grade counselors

Behavior is a way for a child to communicate with you. What are they trying to say? Learn strategies to manage and prevent challenging behavior at home, in the classroom and community.

Resilience Reset: How to Stay Sane and Inspired in Today's School Counseling World
Target audience: All levels

Our job duties as school counselors often change year after year. Many feel overwhelmed, lost and unappreciated in their careers. We always help and show others how to reset and rewire their mindset. It's our turn now! In this workshop, you’ll learn tips and ways to stay on track in today's school counseling world, prevent burnout and love your job again. 

Rocket Past Barriers: Using AI to Engage Students and Embrace Neurodiversity
Target audience: All levels

Do you want some new tools to support students with executive functioning challenges, autism-spectrum Disorders, ADHD or learning disabilities in counseling sessions? Discover the transformative potential of AI in supporting and empowering your neurodiverse learners!

This workshop will explore practical ways AI tools can enhance student engagement in sessions, personalize learning experiences and celebrate neurodiversity. Attendees will gain insights into using AI to differentiate, support executive functioning and foster self-advocacy in students with unique learning profiles. Join us to get hands-on experience with AI so you can safely navigate tools yourself and help your team explore new frontiers for students with disabilities. Please bring your laptop to this session.

Special Education, SESIS and the Role of The School Counselor
Target audience: All levels of counselors new to IEP-mandated counseling

In this session, participants will increase their understanding of their role as mandated counselors as it pertains to the implementation of the IEP (writing goals, scheduling students for services, delivery of services, etc.) as well as navigating SESIS.

The Calming and Healing Power of Crafts
Target audience: All levels

You don’t need to hold a certificate in art therapy or be an "artsy" person to bring the healing power of arts to your counseling practice. In this extremely hands-on workshop, elementary school counselor and former arts educator Jane Cowan will show you simple, quick and inexpensive projects that you can easily incorporate into your practice. You’ll leave with examples of projects that can decrease stress, increase mindfulness, develop self-awareness and promote self-care, which can be used in group counseling, individual counseling and classroom guidance lessons.