Recognitions & Celebrations
September is Suicide Prevention Month
September is Suicide Prevention Month, a time to raise awareness, encourage meaningful conversations, and remind one another that help is available. 988 provides free, confidential support 24/7 by call, text, or chat for people experiencing emotional distress, a mental health or substance use crisis, or thoughts of suicide. Whether you are seeking support for yourself or concerned about someone else, reaching out can be an important first step.
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988
Online: 988lifeline.org
Policy, Practice & Legislative Updates
Updated Evaluations Webinar and Presentations for School Counselors
The August and September evaluation webinars provided administrators, district leaders, and school counselors with practical guidance on the updated evaluation process and the abbreviated evaluation cycle. Recordings and presentation materials are now available for those who were unable to attend or would like to revisit the content. In addition, one evaluation course is available on demand for continued learning and professional development. Explore the resources below to access the recordings, presentations, and on-demand course.
Guide for Admins Supervising Student Support Personnel: Recording and Presentation
A Guide for School Counselors: Recording, Presentation and On-Demand Course
NC College Connect Is Now Live for 2026-2027 School Year
NC College Connect officially launched September 15th! Every North Carolina public school senior on track to graduate with a diploma will receive direct admission to one or more of the more than 90 North Carolina colleges and universities participating in NC College Connect. That is 105,036 seniors, every one of them, with at least one college seat already waiting in fall 2027. The portal is live and the application deadline is January 8, 2027. You may review NC College Connect one pager here for the list of participation and read full press release here.
Join the next NC College Connections for Educators Webinar: September 23rd at 9am
Email questions for support to NCCollegeConnect@dpi.nc.gov
Career Development Plans Office Hours
North Carolina is entering the third year of Career Development Plan (CDP) implementation, with an important milestone this year: students who created their CDP in 8th grade will complete their first required revision before promotion from 10th grade. The revision provides an opportunity for students to revisit their interests, skills, and career goals and ensure that their academic courses, extracurricular experiences, and postsecondary plans remain aligned.
An interdepartmental team hosts monthly Q&A session to support districts in the implementation of CDP legislation. CDP office hours are open to all North Carolina school districts, but not to vendors or non-educators. The CDP website provides upcoming office hour dates and other CDP information.
Upcoming Professional Development Opportunities
Regional NC Student Success Standards Training Opportunities
Join us this fall for a half-day regional training designed to help school counselors move from understanding the NC Student Success Standards to putting them into practice. This interactive training will deepen school counselors’ understanding and application of the NC Student Success Standards, while infusing key updates from the ASCA National Model, 5th Edition. Participants will explore how to use data to prioritize student needs, align comprehensive school counseling programming and delivery to the standards, and identify practical strategies to strengthen implementation within their schools. All trainings are 9am-12:30pm. Click below to register for your region.
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Sandhills- September 28th, Reid Ross Classical HS, Fayetteville, NC (location changed)
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Piedmont Triad-October 20th, Memorial United Methodist Church, Thomasville, NC
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Southeast, October 28th, Eastern Skills Regional Center, Jacksonville, NC
UNC System Virtual Opportunities
UNC System Counselor Briefing: Inside the System, October 1st, 10-11:30am (Register here)
Designed specifically for high school counselors, this fast-paced session will provide an inside look at all 17 UNC System institutions. Admissions leaders from each university will highlight student fit, academic strengths, standout programs, scholarship opportunities, admission deadlines, campus updates, and counselor resources. We’ll also review the UNC System’s Minimum Eligibility Requirements and Minimum Course Requirements and conclude with a live Q&A. Join us to gather practical information and resources to help your students explore their options and find their best fit within the UNC System.
UNC System Virtual Open House, October 5th-6th & 12th-13th, 6:30-7:45pm each day (Register here)
Prospective students and their families are invited to explore all 16 UNC System universities during a four-night Virtual Open House. Admissions representatives from each institution will share helpful information about the admission process and current students will discuss their college experiences and answer questions live. School counselors are also invited to attend this virtual event!
NC Student Success Standards Webinar Series
Join us for the 2026-2027 NC Student Success Standard Webinar Series that will provide a variety of ways to integrate into your program delivery as a school counselor. Click here for all dates, session descriptions and webinar links. Hope to see you for our September kickoff
October 2nd, 10:30-11:30, Annual Outcome Goalsetting Plans for Standards Program Delivery
November 3rd, 10:30-12noon, The Character Continuum: Integrating NC Student Success Standards into Character Education
NCSCA Fall Conference
Join us November 4th-6th at the Embassy Suites in Concord, NC for our fall conference for school counselors. This year's theme is Constellations of the Heart: Empowering Each and Every Student. It is an opportunity for professional development and networking with school counselors and educator partners statewide. We hope to see you there! Find more details and registration here.
September ASCA Virtual Events
The American School Counselor Association (ASCA) offers a variety of virtual professional development opportunities for school counselors, including webinars, affinity groups, and specialty learning experiences. Click here to see full calendar and register for upcoming events.
September 24th, 1pm, Rural School Counselors Affinity Group Meeting
September 24th, 2:30-3:30pm, Making MTSS: What's New in the Second Editions?
September 28th, 5-6pm, ACSC Office Hours
September 29th, 12-1pm, A Guide to College Board Resources for School Counselors
Call for Proposals for Evidence-Based School Counseling Conference
The Evidence-Based School Counseling Conference (EBSCC) is now accepting proposals for its 2027 conference, taking place March 6–7 at UNC Charlotte. The conference is seeking presentations that highlight evidence-based, student-centered school counseling practices. Collaborative proposals involving school counselors, district leaders, administrators, and/or counselor educators are especially encouraged. Proposals are due October 2, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. Find more information on submission guidelines here.
PSLP Secondary Education Program for Juniors
The UNC School of Social Work is launching the PSLP Secondary Education Program. It is a free, year-long statewide leadership program for North Carolina high school juniors in early colleges, offering students opportunities to explore public service social work and develop skills for helping professions. The 2027 program includes monthly virtual learning, a residential Summer Intensive on a NC college campus, and optional regional meetups. Applications open October 1, 2026. Learn more here or contact Nina Muller at nmuller@unc.edu.
Better Together: School Mental Health Summit
Join this exciting new opportunity from the Healthy Schools section at NCDPI, December 8th & 9th for 2 full days of professional development exclusively for school counselors, school social workers, school psychologists, school-based mental health clinicians, and their supervisors and directors. All of these positions will be invited to register soon. This event will be held in Concord, NC. Make plans now to attend and stay tuned for more information.
2026-2027 Office of Teaching & Learning Statewide Professional Learning
The NCDPI Office of Teaching and Learning (OTL) provides leadership and support for the review, revision, installation, and implementation of the NC Standard Course of Study, which includes resources and professional learning for providing high-quality, standards-aligned core instruction for every K–12 student.
Resources
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