Welcome to the Ben Franklin Counseling Program

The Stevens Point Area Public School District Comprehensive School Counseling Program provides a framework to service ALL students in the personal/social, academic and career domains in order to prepare them to be college and career ready.  This program is driven by four key components including:

• Counseling Curriculum: content delivered to all students through classroom activities, interdisciplinary curriculum development, group activities, parent/student workshops
• Individual Planning: assist students in educational and career planning, decision making, and goal setting
• Responsive Services: prevention and intervention, consultation, individual and small group counseling, crisis counseling, referrals
• System Support: program delivery and support, professional development, consultation, collaboration, and teaming

A fully implemented program also includes:

• “By ALL for ALL” Philosophy which means the school counselors create partnerships with all stakeholders in order to deliver services to every student
• Prepares students for challenges of 21st century through academic, career and enhanced personal/social development so they can understand who they are as individuals and how they contribute to a global society
• Based on American School Counselor Association Standards for School Counseling and is aligned with the Wisconsin Counseling State Standards and Benchmarks which strive to ensure the academic success of all students with a proactive approach
• Strong emphasis on student & parent educational/career conferencing
• Student development focus
• Delivery to “Give Purpose to Learning”
• Relates educational programs to future success; answers the student questions, 
• “Why do I have to learn this stuff?”
• Develops a system for students’ long-range planning and learning
• Calendaring process to determine use of counselor time and a means of accountability
• Enables parents to access school and community resources
• Program has structure specific content for an interdisciplinary team effort
• Delivery to “Prepare Each Student to be Successful”
• Integrates school counseling with the academic mission of the school district
• Led and facilitated by DPI-Licensed School Counselors to provide direct services to students and parents in collaboration with staff and the community

What is ACP

Beginning in the Fall of 2017, school boards are required to ensure their schools are providing Academic and Career Planning (ACP) services to students in grades 6-12.  ACP is an ongoing process that actively engages students with academic, career, and social/emotional development throughout their educational experience.

The Benefits

The ACP process is a student driven initiative in which students will make informed decision for their own individual post-secondary success.  Students will participate in activities and experiences in order to identify their strengths and abilities, improve their understanding of post-secondary options, better connect their goals to educational coursework and career goal activities, and engage in long-term planning for life after high school graduation.

Key ACP Components:

Know - Who am I?

• Self-awareness: personality, values, interests, knowledge, skills, abilities
• Reflection and goal setting

Explore - What do I want to do?

• Find out about the work world and explore careers
• Career research
• Career awareness assessments
• Career clusters

Plan - How do I get there?

• Consider skills, classes, and degrees that different jobs require
• Find work-based learning opportunities
• Explore and experience particular fields of interests
• Look into options for experience:
  • Work based learning opportunities
  • Postsecondary training options
  • Financial plan for postsecondary routes
  • Community based learning opportunities

Go - Do!

• Action and experiences
• Modify your plan and goals when needed
• Advanced Placement courses
• Course/Youth Options courses
• Career Exploration courses
• Youth Apprenticeship
• Job Shadowing

As part of the American School Counselor Association Model, the PJ Jacobs Student Services office invites all eighth grade students and their parents/guardians to attend a 45-minute individual planning conference with their School Counselor: Ms. Lora Schultz (student last names A-L) or Ms. Julia Her-Khang (student last names M-Z).

Conferences will take place between November and May each year.  Families will receive an emailed Google Survey to register for the individual planning conference. 

We are excited about this opportunity to help students plan for their future!  Parents/guardians were highly encouraged to attend.  Conferences are catered to the needs of each individual student.  Some of the topics discussed during this conference are:

• Academic & Career Planning
• 4-Year Course Plan
• Xello
• Strength/Interest Areas
• Transcript Review & Graduation Requirements
• Personal, Educational, & Career Goals
• Testing Information

Why do we have this conference?

• To share information
• Gives the student ownership in creating high school and post-secondary goals
• Building a positive relationship between school and families
• Generate discussions between parents/guardians, students, and staff
• Discuss Academic & Career Planning (ACP)

What are the benefits?

• Empowers students to make informed choices
• Encourages a "planning ahead" framework to eliminate missed opportunities/deadlines
• Students can achieve more by finding purpose in their own learning
• Make sure students are on track for graduation

Mental Health Resources

• Community mental health provider resource guide
• Listing of mental health resources
• Ascension Psychiatry/Psychology Department List of Providers

Community & Mental Health Support:  

• Child Mind Institute: Topics A-Z
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: Stress and Coping
• Ways to Calm Anxiety
• Portage County Mental Health Navigation Program
• Portage & Wood Counties NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Mental Health
• What Teens Need During a Pandemic

Crisis Support:

• Portage County Hotline: 866-317-9362
• Textline: Text “HOPELINE” TO 741741
• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988

If your child is new to the district, please complete the following steps:

• Enroll Your Student Online or or at our Student Services Office at 1900 Polk Street in Stevens Point, WI 54481.
• Call the Ben Franklin Counseling Office at 715-345-5414 to make an appointment with your child's counselor to create a schedule and orientate them to the building.
• At the appointment, if possible, please bring a copy of your child's transcript and/or report card(s) that lists the courses, grades, and credits that your child has earned as well as any other records you may have. Note: The district will also request a copy of these records but bringing your own copies may expedite the enrollment process for your child.