Creative Ways to Market Your School Counseling Program
By Danielle Schultz, Ph.D. | January 2023
By marketing your school counseling program, you are advocating for your role and educating others on how school counselors support the academic success, social/emotional well-being and career development of students. This article offers some creative ways you can promote your program by sharing what you already do.
On the Airwaves
School news programs or morning announcements can be a great way to share information with the whole student body at one time. School counselors can be a guest on the school news program or read morning announcements to share upcoming programming and activities.
Some examples of marketing your school counseling program in this way include:
Sharing information and resources on your school’s learning management system (LMS) helps you connect with students and caregivers. Reach out to your building or district technology integration specialist to assist you in creating your own channel or group for your LMS. Once you have a way of posting to the LMS, students and caregivers will be able to receive notifications when you post new information or resources. You can also store frequently used resources on your page or channel.
Some ways to market your school counseling program on the LMS include:
School counselors can create newsletters to share information about their programs or create a school counselor feature in existing school newsletters. Creating your own school counseling newsletter can provide a one-stop-shop for all the information caregivers need about your program. Alternatively, if a method of communication with caregivers is already established, adding a section that focuses on school counseling can be a way to get information out about your program. School counselors can make paper newsletters or use online services, such as Smore (www.smore.com) to create digital newsletters.
Some examples of ways to promote your school counseling program in newsletters and features include:
Displaying images about your school counseling program services on closed-circuit TVs is another way to reach students and school staff. You do not have to be a digital designer to make an image for a closed-circuit TV. Web-based services like Canva give you access to pre-made templates that you can edit to meet your needs. Prior to making a design, reach out to your building principal to find out who puts images on the closed-circuit TV system, and the size and format requirements. Once you know the requirements and person to receive your designs, get to work making images to market your school counseling program!
Some ways to market your program on closed-circuit TVs include:
Visual displays catch students’ attention within the school building. Determine what displays and bulletin boards you can access and what information you want to share with students and staff.
Ways to market your school counseling program using displays and bulletin boards include:
Contact Danielle Schultz, Ph.D., at Danielle@schcounselor.com or via http://www.schcounselor.com.
On the Airwaves
School news programs or morning announcements can be a great way to share information with the whole student body at one time. School counselors can be a guest on the school news program or read morning announcements to share upcoming programming and activities.
Some examples of marketing your school counseling program in this way include:
- Read announcements or appear on the School News Program each day of National School Counseling Week
- Share information about Kindness Week and how to participate
- Be a special guest on the news show – allow students to ask questions about the school counselor and the school counseling program
- Provide information about an upcoming trip to the local career and technology center
- Host prize drawings for the school-wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Support program
Sharing information and resources on your school’s learning management system (LMS) helps you connect with students and caregivers. Reach out to your building or district technology integration specialist to assist you in creating your own channel or group for your LMS. Once you have a way of posting to the LMS, students and caregivers will be able to receive notifications when you post new information or resources. You can also store frequently used resources on your page or channel.
Some ways to market your school counseling program on the LMS include:
- Share tips for students before the end of the quarter or trimester
- Announce upcoming lessons
- Provide test-taking tips prior to state testing
- Post information about how students can access the school counselor
- Collect data by sharing survey and needs assessment links
School counselors can create newsletters to share information about their programs or create a school counselor feature in existing school newsletters. Creating your own school counseling newsletter can provide a one-stop-shop for all the information caregivers need about your program. Alternatively, if a method of communication with caregivers is already established, adding a section that focuses on school counseling can be a way to get information out about your program. School counselors can make paper newsletters or use online services, such as Smore (www.smore.com) to create digital newsletters.
Some examples of ways to promote your school counseling program in newsletters and features include:
- Share upcoming school-wide activities
- Preview upcoming school counseling lesson topics
- Report data from school counseling lessons
- Introduce yourself to caregivers and students
- Advertise drop-in groups for caregivers and students
- Feature events you hosted such as a career fair or careers on wheels
Displaying images about your school counseling program services on closed-circuit TVs is another way to reach students and school staff. You do not have to be a digital designer to make an image for a closed-circuit TV. Web-based services like Canva give you access to pre-made templates that you can edit to meet your needs. Prior to making a design, reach out to your building principal to find out who puts images on the closed-circuit TV system, and the size and format requirements. Once you know the requirements and person to receive your designs, get to work making images to market your school counseling program!
Some ways to market your program on closed-circuit TVs include:
- Share quotes or information related to your school’s monthly theme
- Highlight information about school-wide programming, such as Kindness Week
- Display a different image each day of National School Counseling Week for the daily photo challenges hosted by ASCA
- Provide tips to prepare for the end of the quarter or trimester
- Feature pictures from field trips or events related to career education
Visual displays catch students’ attention within the school building. Determine what displays and bulletin boards you can access and what information you want to share with students and staff.
Ways to market your school counseling program using displays and bulletin boards include:
- Make a display or bulletin board near the school counseling office to explain what school counselors do and how they support students
- Create a display that students can contribute to, such as ways to be kind
- Enlarge coloring pages to make an interactive mindful coloring station for students and staff
- Use QR codes to make interactive bulletin boards that students can scan with their smart devices
- Display bulletin boards that correspond to your school’s monthly theme
- Share information about different careers and/or post-secondary opportunities
Contact Danielle Schultz, Ph.D., at Danielle@schcounselor.com or via http://www.schcounselor.com.