North View Middle and Garden City Elementary Counseling Programs Recognized

Two local schools are among some of the first in the state to be recognized for their counseling programs. 

North View Middle School in Brooklyn Park and Garden City Elementary in Brooklyn Center were each honored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) with a RAMP designation. 

RAMP stands for Recognized ASCA Model Program. RAMP honorees are awarded for demonstrating best practices, creating a data-driven program and closing the achievement gap. 

Social Emotional Counseling

An emphasis is placed on students having access to comprehensive academic, social/emotional and college/career counseling.

“In Minnesota there are so many students without access to school counselors, especially at the elementary level,” explained Garden City Counselor Rachel Lund. “Because we have counselors in kindergarten through grade 12, we are able to collaborate to create a truly comprehensive school counseling program.”

Lund said Garden City puts in extra time and money in the program which helps students like 2nd grader Joshua Contreras Islas. Josh was able to show CCX some of the activities he does with Lund to maintain a calm and focused state.

“They really value social, emotional learning, the mental wealth of our students. Every year my principal and staff chooses to buy my position up to a 1.0. That’s a huge reason why we’ve been able to really do what we have at Garden City,” Lund said.

2nd-grade student Joshua Contreras Islas demonstrates the calming ball he uses to calm himself.

Impacts of RAMP Designation 

Despite this demand across all grade levels, it can be easy to underestimate the pivotal role counselors play in a school community.

“It’s challenging to show the larger community what kind of an impact school counselors have because of the confidential and sensitive nature of our jobs,” explained North View Counselor Shanna Schroeder. “Having the RAMP designation pushes us to make our work more visible and highlights the benefits of students having access to a comprehensive school counseling program.”

Both North View and Garden City will be honored at ASCA’s annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 13, 2021. The designation is valid for five years.

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