Equity Focused Career Development and Postsecondary Transitions — Spring 2026
Course Description:
The Equity Focused Career Development and Postsecondary Transitions course is designed for professional school counselors, pre-service school counselors, career advisors, and educators. In this course, participants will acquire the skills and knowledge necessary to address equity and access issues in career development and assist students in preparing for postsecondary education and careers. Topics covered include an overview of career theory, the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in career advising, the key elements of a model career development curriculum, the connection between postsecondary planning and career and workforce development goals, intentional engagement of students and families in postsecondary decisions, and strategies for maximizing students' success in the postsecondary attainment process. This course is designed to empower educators to create inclusive and equitable career development opportunities for all students.
If you have previously completed this course, please do not register for it again. Other opportunities will be available for you this fall and spring.
Logistics:
The Equity Focused Career Development and Postsecondary Transitions course will begin Jan. 23 and run through May 8. The course comprises of five modules, each with specific deliverables. Registrants should anticipate spending a total of 30 hours on this course over the span of the semester, which is reflected in the awarding of SCECHs. Six (6) hours will be spent in the monthly meetings, and the remaining 24 hours will be spent doing independent online coursework between meetings. This breaks down to about 6 hours a month. Virtual meeting dates and times can be found below. If registrants are unable to make the monthly meetings live, they will be recorded and available to watch for credit at a later time.
Meeting dates:
All Live Sessions will be from 2-3 p.m. ET
LIVE SESSION 1: Kick Off — Jan. 23
LIVE SESSION 2: Module 1 — Feb. 13
LIVE SESSION 3: Module 2 — March 6
LIVE SESSION 4: Module 3 — March 27
LIVE SESSION 5: Module 4 — April 17
LIVE SESSION 6: Module 5 — May 8
The course will be facilitated by Dr. Laura Owen, school counselor educator and Director of the Center for Equity and Postsecondary Attainment at San Diego State University, with support from the Michigan College Access Network team. After successful completion of the full course, you will be a Michigan College Access Network Trained Counselor.
Please complete the form linked below to formally state your interest in participating in the Equity Focused Career Development and Postsecondary Transitions course. There are a limited number of seats available for the course. Participants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to school counselors. All course participants and will be awarded a $250 scholarship to cover the costs of the course; this will be paid directly to our partners at SDSU.
We anticipate 20 SCECHs in career exploration and 10 SCECHs in college preparation will be awarded to individuals who complete the full course, including participation in all virtual sessions (either live or recorded). Reduced SCECHs for partial completion will not be awarded.