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Conference and Professional Development

Ongoing professional development is critical to the success of Iowa school counselors and ISCA is committed to bringing opportunities to its members. From the annual ISCA conference, to webinars, seminars, and topic-specific conferences, check back often to find out about new and exciting opportunities around the state.  

Upcoming Events

ASCA U Training Courses for Iowa License Renewal

AEA Learning Online has partnered with the Iowa School Counselor Association to offer ASCA U training specialist courses for Iowa relicensure credit.  The courses created by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) and requires participants to access the course modules and content through the ASCA web site. The ASCA cost for the course is $99.00 for ASCA members or $249 for nonmembers. There may also be required books to purchase. The trainings take approximately 50 hours to complete ASCA U Specialist Trainings available for relicensure credit include (click to see the ASCA description):

To get started, click on this link. https://training.aealearningonline.org/course/CO00039999 If you have questions about these, contact Rob Brookhart, rbrookhart@aealearningonline.org.

    Previous Virtual Meet-Ups

    • Tuesday, April 7 - 1 PM - High School Counselors: NOTES

    • Tuesday, April 7 - 2 PM - K-12 School Counselors: NOTES
    • Wednesday, April 15 - 10 AM - High School Counselors (Mandatory Learning): NOTES
    • Thursday, April 16 - 2 PM  - High School Counselors (Voluntary Learning): NOTES
    • Monday, April 20 - 11:15 AM - Middle School Counselors: NOTES
    • Friday, April 24 - 9:15 AM - Elementary School Counselors: NOTES
    • Tuesday, April 28 - 11:30 AM - High School Counselors (Virtual Celebrations/Transitions): NOTES
    • Monday, May 11 - 2 pm - College Transition Panel: Video | College Transition FAQs     ISCA and the Iowa Association for College Admission Counseling are teaming up to provide school counselors with up-to-date information about college admissions and the transition process. We know that you and your students have questions about how COVID-19 will impact the college transition process for outgoing seniors from the class of 2020 and your incoming senior class.

    Counselor Academy

    School counselors from across Iowa take part in Counselor Academy at Heartland AEA.

    Counselor Academy

    The content of the Academy is based on the ASCA (American School Counselors Association) National Model and the Iowa Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance Program Model.

    The Academy provides the foundation for counselors to effectively plan, implement, and evaluate comprehensive school counseling services. Counselors develop comprehensive developmental guidance and counseling programs for their schools based on national and state standards and research based best practices.

    Ongoing Opportunities

     ISCA/ICAN Webinar Series

    The Iowa School Counselor Association (ISCA) and the Iowa College Access Network (ICAN) partner to provide a webinar series on important topics and issues facing school counselors today.

    Check out the current list of scheduled webinars 

    Area Education Agency Professional Development Opportunities

    Contact your AEA for more information about your local options for Counselor Academy and additional professional development opportunities.

     ASCA Professional Development

    ASCA provides a lot of professional development opportunities from the annual conference and webinar series, to ASCA U specialist trainings, coaching, and site- and district trainings. Some opportunities require ASCA membership.

    Visit ASCA to learn more

     ICAN Professional Development Series - Career and College Readiness

    ICAN offers half-day and full day professional development opportunities in areas such as financial aid basics, FAFSA completion, and Career and College Readiness Curriculum. Certifications are available based on training assessments.

    Learn more.

     ISEA Academy

     The ISEA Academy offers courses for Iowa License Renewal and Drake University Graduate credit. Courses are on a monthly cycle. For questions please call or email Rhonda Plimmer or Cindy Swanson at 515-471-8000. Visit https://isea.org/course/ for the current course catalog.

     Courses have included:

      • ACEs: The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences
      • Making Magic with Motivation
      • A Spoonful of Sugar…Restorative Practices in the Classroom
      • Teaching… What’s culture got to do with it?
      • Brain Magic: Moving, Talking & Thinking Your Students to Their Full Potential
      • Creativity: The Force Within You
      • It Takes a Village: Building School, Family & Community Partnerships
      • Helping Students Overcome Depression and Anxiety
      • Ignite the Brain: Boosting Learning through Exercise & Fitness
      • Poverty in Our Backyard
      • Students in Poverty: Building Genius
      • Through Poverty’s Lens
      • Helping Traumatized Children Learn
      • Teaching with the Brain in Mind
      • Trauma Stewardship: Caring for Self While Caring For Others
      • Screen Addiction: Fighting the War
      • Mindfulness for Teachers
      • Developing School Mental Health Systems
      • School Mental Health Literacy
      • Racial & Cultural Trauma
      • Building Strong Student Relationships
      • Whole Child Wellness, 5-2-1-0 strategies for success
      • Use Design Thinking to Increase Creativity in the Classroom 

     Iowa College & Career Readiness Academy


    A suite of Iowa-specific online courses for college access and success professionals. 

    Join an ISCA Board Committee

    There are many opportunities to get involved, including board committees. Committees such as Advocacy, Newsletter, Awards & Recognition, and many more work toward the overall success of ISCA and all Iowa Professional School Counselors. Find a committee that interests you, contact the chair and join today. You'll learn about the different aspects of committee work, gain leadership experience and help elevate the profession around the state.

    Learn more

    Join the ISCA Board

    Being an ISCA board member is the chance to become a leader in your profession, and you simply have to love your job. The ISCA board is made up of individuals from a vast array of backgrounds with a large range of talents. Together, the board works to raise awareness of school counselor issues, advocate for the profession, seek out professional development opportunities, and plans the annual conference.

    Contact  Us
    Phone: (515) 282-8192
    Email: info@iaschoolcounselor.org
    Address:
    6919 Vista Drive
    West Des Moines, IA 50266
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