School counselors play a crucial role in fostering a positive and inclusive school climate by offering guidance and resources to scholars, teachers, and parents alike. They provide individualized counseling to help scholars navigate personal challenges, such as academic struggles, family issues, or mental health concerns, empowering them to develop coping strategies and make informed decisions.

Additionally, school counselors collaborate with educators to implement effective interventions and support systems, ensuring that scholars receive the assistance they need to succeed academically.

‍Goals
‍Young Scholars’ Comprehensive Counseling Program is aligned with PA Career Education and Work (CEW standards), as well as American School Counselors Association national standards.

Academic counseling goal: Help students understand themselves as learners in a global society and encourage them to develop skills that will enable them to maximize their academic potential.

Career counseling goal: Make students aware of the vast professional possibilities available to them around the world. Students explore how their interests and abilities connect to their future career choices.

Personal/social counseling goal: Empower students as leaders in our community and help them become positive decision makers. Students are taught decision-making skills and given the opportunity to practice those throughout the year.

‍Social emotional learning (SEL): This program is taught during community times and is a process through which scholars acquire and apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions.

Social emotional learning (SEL) and prioritizing mental health care for scholars are paramount for fostering holistic development and ensuring their overall well-being. Beyond academic achievement, SEL equips scholars with crucial life skills such as self-awareness, empathy, and responsible decision-making, enabling them to navigate challenges effectively and build meaningful relationships.

By nurturing emotional intelligence and resilience, SEL empowers scholars to cope with stress, manage conflicts constructively, and cultivate a positive sense of self-esteem. Ultimately, investing in SEL and mental health care not only enhances academic performance but also equips scholars with the tools to thrive emotionally, socially, and academically both during their schooling years and beyond.

Lauren Kielbasa
School Counselor
412-673-7300 ext. 221
kielbasa@ysga.org

Student Assistance Program (SAP) - The Nest

The Student Assistance Program is comprised of trained school professionals who may receive referrals from parents, teachers, students, and other school staff. This team also works closely with outside agencies. The goals of the SAP Program are to facilitate collaboration between home/families and school to provide interventions to help students overcome barriers to learning and student success. Anyone may make a referral for the SAP program: parents, teachers; friends; the school nurse; even a self-referral can be made to the SAP program. Click HERE to make a SAP referral.