Photo By Lance Cpl. Brenna Ritchie | U.S. Marine Corps Staff Sgt. Kianna Smart, logistics chief, Marine Corps Recruiting...... read more read more
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KANSAS CITY, Mo.― Marines and school counselors have more in common than meets the eye; they both thrive in competition. The U.S. Marine Corps sponsored the Movement Challenge at the American School Counselor Association annual conference from July 13 to 16, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. Through this sponsorship, which included Marine Corps Recruiting Command’s Marines in the exhibit hall, a career session and morning yoga session, the Marines in attendance were able to promote the value physical and mental fitness to counselors traveling from around the nation.
The American School Counselor Association supports school counselors' efforts to help students focus on academic, career and social or emotional development so they achieve success in school and are prepared to lead fulfilling lives as responsible members of society, according to their website.
The annual ASCA School Counselor conference is the organization's largest gathering and the premier professional development conference for school counselors nationwide. At the event, Marines sponsored the aforementioned Movement Challenge, encouraging attendees to stay fit, while also creating a competition to attract members to the exhibit.
“School counselors are competitive, and between sessions I find myself wanting to walk around to be more active,” said Chelsea Greenfield, school counselor, Flandreau Public School in Frandreau, South Dakota. “I’ve attended the ASCA annual conference in the past, and they’ve never done a challenge like this. It added such a fun element to this event.”
The challenge turned attendees' total number of steps throughout the conference into points, each step making one point. Participants were able to stop by the Marine’s booth to scan a QR code for extra points. The Marines also offered information about how counselors could get in touch with their local recruiter and information about the Educators Workshop.
The ASCA annual conference had an estimated 5,000 members arrive at the event. Many EWS alumni from the previous 10 to 15 years came up to the Marine’s exhibit to talk about their experiences in Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, South Carolina, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia or Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, California.
“What I would say about the Educators Workshop is that it’s an immediately implementable professional development opportunity for educators to share benefits of the Marine Corps with their students,” said Jayna Cobbs, director of school counseling at Osborne High School in Manassas, Virginia. “At first, I was really scared of the unknown, but I enjoyed the workshop. I recommend it to everyone I know.”
During the second day of the conference, the Marine Corps also sponsored a morning yoga session led by Chris Ramsay, senior educator development advisor, Breathe for Change. It was a 45-minute class with around 75 counselors in participation.
“I’m glad the Marines were able to connect with school counselors and educators at yoga and show them that the Marine Corps values finding a balance between physical and mental fitness,” said Staff Sgt. Kianna Smart, logistics chief, Marine Corps Recruiting Command. “It helped to open the dialogue with them at the conference later in the day. Counselors who’d gone to yoga seemed more willing to talk with the Marines at the booth.”
The ASCA also had the Marines lead a 30-minute session titled “The Journey to Becoming a United States Marine,” where Marine Officers stood in front of a crowd of counselors and addressed frequently asked questions about the process of enlisting or commissioning.
“Speaking at the panel helped to build trust, allowed us to clarify uncertainties and helped sustain the positive impact between the Marines and ASCA,” said Capt. Francoise Pambianchi, executive officer, Recruiting Station Tampa, 6th Marine Corps District.
The ASCA is the foundation that expands the image and influence of school counselors through knowledge leadership and by building connections. The ASCA’s partnership with the Marine Corps provided an opportunity to engage with school counselors from across the country in a unique way, furthering previous connections and creating brand new ones throughout the duration of the event.
Partnerships like this are created through the Marine Corps National Partnership program, which engages counselors, educators and coaches to increase awareness of the Marine Corps and galvanize recognition that the Marine Corps' values align with the partnering organizations' values. These partnerships are initiated, planned, and activated to inspire influencers to provide recruiter access to qualified men and women.
To learn more about Educators Workshop or how to connect with Marines in your community visit www.connect.marines.com.
| Date Taken: | 07.14.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.18.2024 08:40 |
| Story ID: | 476491 |
| Location: | KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, US |
| Hometown: | COCONUT CREEK, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: | LANCASTER, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Hometown: | MANASSAS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | SPRING HILL, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 118 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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