Feb. 3-7 perfect time to recognize Kansas’ 1,299 licensed public school counselors

National School Counseling Week, which takes places Monday, Feb. 3, through Friday, Feb. 7, highlights the tremendous impact the nearly 1,300 licensed public school counselors in Kansas have in helping students achieve success.

More than 100,000 school counselors across the country, including 1,299 licensed public school counselors in Kansas, will be participating in the week’s festivities.

The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) sponsors the week.

School counselors provide students with academic, college and career help and social-emotional development.

The theme for this year’s celebration is “School Counselors: Helping Build Better Humans.”

The Kansas vision for education, announced in 2015, has placed a greater emphasis on social-emotional growth. School mental health also has been a critical piece. Since the 2017-2018 school year, the number of school counselors has increased 11% (132 counselors) – from 1,167 counselors to 1,299.

The American School Counselor Association is a worldwide nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia. It was founded in 1952 and supports school counselors’ efforts to help students focus on academic, personal/social and career development. For more information on ASCA, visit www.schoolcounselor.org.

The Kansas School Counselor Association (KSCA) has been an active organization since 1965. ASCA serves as the parent organization for the KSCA. For more information on the KSCA, visit www.ksca1.org/.

For more information on school counseling in Kansas, visit https://www.ksde.org/Agency/Division-of-Learning-Services/Career-Standards-and-Assessment-Services/Content-Area-M-Z/School-Counseling/School-Counseling-Resources.