Polk County Schools counselors and social workers are better equipped to support students and families thanks to a grant from the Polk County Community Foundation that provides professional development resources and training.
The grant covers expenses for all school counselors and social workers to access professional organization memberships and attend state conferences. This includes annual memberships to the American School Counselor Association and North Carolina School Counselor Association, as well as expenses for all counselors and social workers who attended the NCSCA Annual Conference in Greensboro on Nov. 5-7, 2025.
School counselors and social workers are on the front lines assisting students and families during difficult and challenging times at school and home. The professional memberships provide access to current counseling trends, legal and ethical guidance, free resources and training workshops.
High school counselor Katy Montgomery said the conference provides targeted professional development that directly relates to her work.
“As a school counselor, it’s often hard to find professional development that pertains to school counseling,” Montgomery said. “It is such a great resource knowing that I will be able to tailor my conference experience to meet my needs as a high school counselor. I can attend breakout sessions related to a wide variety of topics that are specific to a high school counselor.”
School counselor Buffy Weathington attended sessions on attendance interventions, academic support groups, addressing barriers in rural schools, supporting students with sensory issues and ways to improve overall school climate.
“I also had opportunities to connect with my colleagues from Polk County and learn about experiences from across the state,” Weathington said. “Thanks to the Polk County Community Foundation’s support to make this valuable professional development possible.”
Behavior liaison Jennifer Pittman said she connected to a free resource at the conference that she has incorporated into one-on-one behavior interventions with positive feedback from students.
Sunny View Elementary counselor Monica Barber, who is the only counselor at her school, said the grant-funded conference allowed her to step outside her building and return better equipped to meet student needs.
“It is nice to have time to catch up and learn from my fellow counselors from our district as well,” Barber said. “The grant provides us with the opportunity to grow as professionals, but also to continue to build relationships within our school district.”
Without this support, student services professionals would not be able to provide the high-quality assistance that students and families need in an environment of increasing mental health and academic challenges.
Photo information: Polk County Schools’ school counselors and social workers, from left: Monica Barber, May Rikard, Linda Sage, Katy Montgomery, Sherrie Huffman, Meghan Mauldin, Buffy Weathington, Langlee Rogers, Raven Peeples, Jennifer Pittman, Ashley Bell and Linley Foster
