March 3, 2020

Charleston, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) is hosting approximately 600 school counselors and education professionals during the School Counselor Conference at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. Titled “2020 Vision: Supporting the Whole Child,” the two-day event continues through today, March 3, 2020.

The conference offers school counselors an expansive and diverse array of professional learning sessions with a goal of supporting the social-emotional wellness, mental health, academic success and career readiness of students. The conference also provides the opportunity for collaboration with community and state agencies to learn about resources and services available to support students and families.

Participants attend workshops and plenary sessions that range from counseling strategies and effective behavior interventions to middle and high school career exploration. Key partners are in attendance and offer one-stop access to high-level expertise.

“As educators, we live and work in a high-stakes climate. Students come to school with needs that extend far beyond reading, writing and arithmetic,” said West Virginia Superintendent of Schools W. Clayton Burch. “We find that an increasing number of our students are suffering from the fallout of the opioid and substance misuse crisis and require more specialized services. This conference is a way of helping our schools and counselors as they build a sustained network of supports.”

Superintendent Burch, West Virginia Board of Education President David Perry and Vice President Miller Hall presented at the conference. Marshall University President Dr. Jerome A. Gilbert served as the luncheon keynote on Monday; and West Virginia University President Dr. E. Gordon Gee will serve in the same capacity today.