The Duneland School
Corporation has been awarded a $50,000 Lilly Endowment Counseling Initiative
Planning Grant to help students from elementary grades through high school
prepare for academic, career and personal success.
This grant is the
first phase of a five-year effort to strengthen public schools through a
Comprehensive Counseling Initiative for Indiana K-12 students.
Since 2005, the
Chesterton High School (CHS) Counseling Department has achieved and
maintained the Indiana School Counseling Association (ISCA) Gold Star Award
and the American School Counseling Association (ASCA) RAMP Award.
“As a result of
being awarded the Lilly grant, all the Duneland Schools will be working to
achieve these same awards and CHS will be working to renew those awards,”
Duneland Schools said. “The planning grant moneys will be used to explore
ideas, programs, and methods that will allow each of the school counselors
to provide a more comprehensive school counseling programs to the students,
parents, and other stakeholders within the Duneland School Corporation.”
Presently, the
Duneland School counselors are a team of educators who work to help all
students in grades K-12 in the areas of academic achievement,
personal/social development, and career development. Each of the Duneland
Schools works with an advisory council made up of counselors,
administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community members who have
created a vision statement for students, a mission statement aligned with
the school and district mission statements and program goals for each school
building.
“Together they are
designing programs that align with the ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors for
Student Success in the areas of academic, career, and social/emotional
development,” Duneland Schools said. “All school counselors in the Duneland
district have masters’ degrees in school counseling or related fields and
abide by the ASCA Ethical Standards to maintain the highest levels of
integrity, leadership, and professionalism.”