Recognitions & Celebrations
2026 RAMP Schools
Congratulation to the school counseling teams at Panther Creek High School and Green Hope High School of Wake County Public Schools for their Re-RAMP recognition from the American School Counselor Association. The Recognized ASCA Model Program® (RAMP®) recognizes schools committed to delivering school counseling programs aligned with the ASCA National Model® framework. The RAMP® designation demonstrates to administrators, school boards, families and the community at large that the schools are committed to supporting the mission of the school and district. To date, more than 1,600 schools have earned the RAMP® designation.
National Assistant Principal Week
National Assistant Principals Week is observed from April 6-10, 2026, celebrating the vital role assistant principals play in fostering student success, supporting educators, and ensuring smooth school operations. Thank your dedicated leadership, mentorship, and daily positive impact in supporting school counselors in NC!
Policy, Practice & Legislative Updates
NCCareers Lauches CFNC & NCEdCloud Linkage
On Thursday, March 26, NCcareers launched a new feature that enables work completed using either CFNC or NCEdCloud credentials to be viewable in CFNC ProTools.
After the launch, students may see a "Multiple Accounts Found" prompt when they sign in. They'll be asked to choose which account to keep active. Refer to the step-by-step guide attached for instruction on how to guide them to select the right account and complete the process.
Please use Educator Guide for step-by-step instructions in which you can access: here: https://nccareers.org/streamlining-cfnc-protools-reporting-linking-cfnc-ncedcloud-logins
Please reach out to us at nccareers@commerce.nc.gov with any questions.
North Carolina Indepedent Colleges & Universities Website Updates & Counselor Toolkit
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Enhanced "Find Your College" Page: Explore the searchable directory of individual campus profiles with added step-by-step filtering instructions for the CFNC Advanced Search and NC Career Pathways tools. Students can now easily navigate these resources to filter specifically for private, independent campuses and align their academic interests with career goals.
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2024-2026 NCICU Counselors Handbook:This is a comprehensive resource that can be accessed online here.
May 1st Decision Day
Decision Day is coming up May 1st, and College for North Carolina (CFNC) has resources to help you prepare! Whether they've decided to go to college, enlist in the military, or enter the workforce, high school seniors deserve to celebrate their choices. You can show them they have support with just a little thought and planning.
CFNC has put together a handy toolkit with event ideas and templates for invites, celebratory social media posts, and a blank pennant.mIf you want to highlight your seniors but don't know what to do, check out the toolkit.
Career Development Plans
Visit the career development plan website to review our updated guidance document, planning tool and the 2025-2026 office hours (see dates below):
Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities
Frontline Focus Regional Spring Trainings
School counselors are invited to join the afternoon session with the NC Human Trafficking Commission focused on human trafficking of the Frontline Focus regional trainings. The session will begin at 12:45 at each regional location. Click here for registration.
Harnett County Schools 2026 Trauma Summit
Join educators, parents, mental health professionals, and community partners for a full-day summit
dedicated to understanding trauma, exploring trauma‑informed practices, and learning strategies to
support student well‑being and resilience on April 28th, 8am-4pm. Click here to register.
NCSCA Spring and Summer PD (Virtual & In Person)
- Lunch & Learn Webinar: Building the School Profile, April 15, 1-2pm,
- Southwest Regional Drive-In, April 24th, 8:30-3:30pm
- Virtual Mental Health Summit May 1st, 8:30 am-12:30pm.
- Summer Academy, June 23rd, Appalachian State University, Reich College of Education (save the date)
Click here to register for all events
NCSCA Fall Conference Call For Proposals
Have an idea, strategy, or program that could help other school counselors? Share your expertise by presenting a breakout session at the annual fall conference. The 2026 North Carolina School Counselor Association (NCSCA) Annual Fall Conference will take place November 4-6, and will be back at the newly renovated Concord-Charlotte Embassy Suites and Conference Center! Check out the newly launched conference page with all the information for NCSCA 2026! Proposal submission deadline is May 15th and maybe submitted here.
ASCA April and May Webinar
American School Counseling Association is offering a variety of live webinars and office hours this spring to support your comprehensive work as school counselors. April and May sessions include topics designed to strengthen practice. View the full schedule and see more detail for registration here.
- April 15rh, MTSS in Action: Practical Tier 1 & 2 Strategies,12-1pm
- April 20th, Advocate Like a Pro, 12-1pm
- April 22nd, Advocacy Briefing, 3-4pm
- May 7th, Strengthen Support Systems for Military Connected Students, 2-3pm
Ramp Office Hours:
Thursday, April 23, 5 p.m. EDT
Thursday, May 28, 5 p.m. EDT
Thursday, June 18, 5 p.m.
RISE 2026 Registration
Registration is now open for the 2026 RISE Back to School Safety Summit! The Center for Safer Schools' largest event will be held from Tuesday, August 4 to Thursday, August 6, at the Greenville Convention Center in Greenville, N.C.
Join us for sessions including bullying prevention, suicide prevention, critical incidents, and threat assessment
SUN Bucks for Summer 2026
SUN Bucks is a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) program that provides grocery-buying benefits in a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child on a debit-like card that can be used to buy nutritious food during the summer months when schools are out.
Visit ncdhhs.gov/sunbucks for all the details, including eligibility information and FAQs.
School counselors provide support to your school social worker as needed ensure they are updating addresses as soon as possible upon learning of residence changing.
Prepare for May Mental Health Awareness Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, recognized since 1949 to raise awareness, reduce stigma and provide support for mental health conditions. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services is offering free 988 print materials to help you share this important message with your community throughout May.
Your order will include posters, flyers, rack cards, and wallet cards in both English and Spanish.
Please place your order by April 15, 2026, to ensure delivery by late April, so you can distribute materials in your community during Mental Health Awareness Month.
Character Education Professional Development
- April 22nd, Character and Coffee Chat, 10-11am, register here
- May 13th, National Schools of Character Panel Discussion, register here
Growing Success for MLs & Standards Academy Summer Conference
Don't miss this outstanding professional development experience! NCDPI’s Office of Teaching and Learning is once again joining the Growing Success for Multilingual Learners (MLs) and The Standards Academy for one spectacular summer conference! June 23-25 (in-person) and July 13-16 (virtual).
- Dual Conference Access – attend sessions from both conferences at one location, at no cost. Consider bringing a team to maximize learning and collaboration. Participants choose their own sessions!
- Flexible Attendance Options – Choose from the in-person locations or attend virtually to fit your schedule and preferences.
- Expert-Led Sessions – Engage with best practices, collaboration strategies, and proven methods for elevating multilingual learner success.
- Professional Networking – Connect with fellow educators, exchange ideas, and build lasting professional relationships.
Resources
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