July 9–10, 2026, New Orleans, Louisiana – Hilton New Orlenas Riverside Hotel
Elevate is a two-day professional development experience designed for the volunteer leaders and staff of ASCA’s affiliated state and territory school counselor associations (SCAs).
The forum moves beyond traditional leadership training to focus on strategic foresight and the governance maturity journey. Recognizing that every association is at a different stage of development, Elevate provides tailored approaches to help you navigate your specific challenges. Participants will:
- Practice Foresight Thinking: Learn to anticipate emerging trends and prepare your association to lead through uncertainty with confidence.
- Navigate the Maturity Journey: Use new frameworks to assess your association’s current capacity and build a clear path toward sustainable, high-impact governance.
- Strengthen Core Competencies: Gain insights from expert speakers on governance, leadership, advocacy, operations and member engagement.
- Collaborate and Network: Share "what’s working now" with a community of peers who understand the unique weight and reward of leading school counselors.
Join us to move from reacting to the present to intentionally shaping the future of school counseling leadership.
ASCA is pleased to invite each of the 53 state and territory School Counselor Associations (SCAs) to send participants to Elevate. This forum is designed to support leaders as they navigate their association's unique maturity journey and embrace strategic foresight to shape the future of the profession.
Registration & Deadlines
To ensure your association is represented:
- May 1: Each SCA must submit the State/Territory Request Form.
- June 1: After the request form is processed, individual participants will receive an Elevate registration form to complete.
Schedule at a Glance
- Association Staff Working Session: July 9, 8:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Executive directors and management staff are invited to this facilitated working session in New Orleans prior to the start of the general forum. Breakfast and lunch are provided. RSVP via the individual registration process.
- Elevate: Begins July 9 at 1:00 p.m. PT and concludes July 10 by 4:00 p.m.
- ASCA Business Meeting: Held immediately following the conclusion of Elevate from 4:30-6:00 p.m.
Requirements & Benefits
- Membership: All Elevate participants must be current ASCA members at the time of the meeting. Voting delegates must meet the specific requirements outlined in the ASCA Bylaws (Article IV) and association policies.
- Annual Conference Discount: Elevate participants attending the ASCA Annual Conference are eligible for a special delegate registration rate.
To Register: Select the "delegate rate" during online registration.
Multiple Attendees: SCAs may register multiple individuals at the delegate rate online. If paying by check, please email ASCA to request a paper delegate registration form.
What's the difference between Elevate and the ASCA Business Meeting, and who attends each?
Elevate: The Forum for School Counseling Association Leadership Elevate is a premier professional development experience designed for the volunteer leaders and staff of ASCA’s affiliated state and territory school counselor associations (SCAs). SCAs are encouraged to send as many leaders as they wish to participate in this collaborative learning and networking environment.
The ASCA Business Meeting The ASCA Business Meeting is the formal governance gathering of delegates from each division. The Business Meeting is where delegates represent the broader ASCA membership to identify current issues and trends that inform the association’s ends policies. During this session, delegates provide recommendations to the Board of Directors, committees, and task forces, and review and vote on proposed revisions to the ASCA bylaws and position statements.
Who Attends Each? Elevate is open to all volunteer leaders and staff from ASCA’s chartered divisions. The ASCA Business Meeting is an open meeting that all Elevate participants are encouraged to attend; however, each division is required to designate two voting delegates to represent their association during official business. All voting delegates must meet the specific requirements outlined in the ASCA Bylaws and association policies.