Prepping for ASCA Conference


I am ridicuously excited for the American School Counselor Association National Conference in Philadelphia, PA! The ASCA Conference is from Sunday, June 30th until Wednesday, July 3rd.  This will be my third time presenting at and attending the conference. Whether this is your first time, 60th time or you are thinking about attending the ASCA Conference next year, here are some tips and information to make your conference experience enjoyable and memorable!

Get Ready to Connect! 
The absolute best thing about the ASCA National Conference is connecting with other school counselors! There are so many opportunities to meet and interact with school counselors from all over the country and the world! Get out of your comfort zone and talk to others! Go out to dinner with other and explore the city with other school counselors! You will have a blast! I had so much fun meeting and connecting with new people in the past and I can't wait to do it again this year!

I am hosting (with two of my favorite tech savvy counselors) two fun and informal ways to connect in real life with school counselors you interact with online.  Dr. Erin Mason from SCOPE and I are hosting the 2nd Annual School Counselor Tweet Up on Sunday, June 30th during the Dance Social in the Grand Ballroom of the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.  Andrea Burston from JYJ Counselor Blog and I are hostin the first ever School Counselor Blogger Meet and Greet at 8pm on Tuesday, June 2 in the lobby of the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown.  All are welcome to attend both events!

There's an App for That!
Since I have been attending the ASCA National conference I have been super impressed with their conference app! It is so cool that the ASCA conference app enables you to have access to the schedule and information at all times in the palm of your hand.  Even if you are not attending the conference, you are able to access and download documents from each presentation! I highly recommend you download the ASCA conference app or check out the app website!

Pack Like a Pro
People who have roomed with me always are shocked by my miniscule amount of luggage. I somehow have perfected the art of packing what I need and not going overboard. It is probably because I obsess about what I am packing for the ASCA Conference weeks in advance! I think I pretty much have everything mentally packed. ;) If you are presenting I recommend bringing a suit or some dressier items. If you are attending the conference I recommend business casual. Also, leave some room in your bags for items you might purchase at the conference! There are TONS of booths with books, resources, school counselor apparel, and super cool items you can buy for your school counseling office!

This year, I wont be packing as light because I will have lots of giveaways packed in my bag for the School Counselor Blogger Meet and Greet!

Enjoy a new City!
Squeeze some time into your schedule to enjoy Philladelphia! There are lots of cool things to do in Philly! Some of the things I am looking forward to doing are taking pictures at LOVE park, getting breakfast at the Reading Terminal Market, and trying out some local restaurants, including Sbraga! Check out Visit Philly for ideas of things to see and do!

What are your suggestions and tips for attending the ASCA National Conference? What questions do you have about attending?

Comment below, tweet, contact Danielle, or share on the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page!

Read highlights from my 2013 ASCA Conference experience below:
ASCA 2013 Day 1: #SCCHAT Tweet Up (June 30, 2013)
ASCA 2013 Day 2: Technology Smackdown (July 1, 2013)
ASCA 2013 Day 3: School Counselor Blogger Meet and Greet (July 2, 2013)

Danielle is a K-12 Certified School Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and blogger at School Counselor Blog, a place where school counselors share innovative ideas, creative lesson plans, and quality resources. Connect with Danielle via email, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Google+, and become a fan of the School Counselor Blog Facebook Page.

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