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CHECK IT OUT!!
CHECK IT OUT!!
"Anchored in Resilience, this year’s VCAN Conference brings together Virginia’s college access and success community to celebrate the strength, innovation, and collaboration that define our work. Each day builds on the idea that resilience is not just a response to challenge—it is the foundation that allows us to grow, adapt, and expand opportunity for every student in the Commonwealth."
Day 1 - Thriving in Access
Day 1 spotlights the innovative and effective college access initiatives currently driving success across the Commonwealth. By highlighting programs that are moving the needle for Virginia’s students, we explore what it means not just to provide access, but to create environments where students—and the professionals who support them—can truly thrive.
Day 2 - Expanding opportunities across Virginia
Day 2 explores how communities, institutions, and partners across the Commonwealth are broadening pathways to postsecondary success. From regional collaborations to statewide initiatives, we examine how expanding access strengthens economic mobility and creates more inclusive futures for Virginia’s students.
Day 3 - Stronger together
Our final day celebrates the collective power of Virginia’s college access and success network. By sharing knowledge, aligning efforts, and supporting one another, we build a more resilient ecosystem—one where students benefit from a united community committed to their long‑term success.
Life after high school brings new opportunities and responsibilities. Join us for our next Transition Talk about Independent Living on June 2, 2026, from 3:30-4:30 PM ET for a live Q&A on Zoom featuring Kendel St. John, Transition Training Associate at CTI, and hosted by Dr.Staci Carr, Technical Assistance Associate at CTI. This session will focus on how parents can prepare students for independent living, including skills for daily life, community participation, and managing personal needs. Learn how schools, families, and communities can work together to support students in achieving greater independence. Register on Zoom to save your seat!
May Theme:
May Theme:
Middle School and Transition
Middle School and Transition
Webcast: Learn to Earn: Paid High School Employment - Join VCU’s Whitney Ham on Thursday, June 4, 2026, from 2:00 PM to 2:45 PM ET for a critical update on the "Learn to Earn" research study. This webcast on paid employment in high school, which focuses on Study 1, examines how earning a paycheck during the school years influences long-term competitive integrated employment and community engagement in adulthood.
Guide to Charting the Course for Middle School Career Development
"This month, we explored what preparing for a successful postsecondary transition could look like in middle school. We explored school-based enterprises as an example of how to develop career and independence skills that support students throughout their lives. For this final week of May, we're excited to share a new Fast Fast that offers step-by-step guidance on successfully implementing a school-based enterprise that centers on students. Download the free PDF today to learn the five steps to implementation!"
Join us for our Level Up Virginia Events Kick-Off webinar on August 13, 2026 to learn more about the events, school kits and how to register to access materials and information!
Registered high schools with 50% or more of the student population receiving Free and Reduced Price lunch will receive additional benefits, such as printed materials, application fee waivers and more! Find out if your school meets the criteria here!
Save the Date for the 2026-2027 Level Up Events:
ECMC College Nights in Virginia: October 2026 - April 2027
Virginia College Application Week: October 19 - 23, 2026 & October 26-30, 2026
FAF$A Next: October 2026 - February 2027
Decision Day VA: On or around May 1st
Resources for Families/Caregivers
Resources for Families/Caregivers
College Admissions Workshops
College Admissions Workshops
Join more than 50,000+ families who have gained valuable insights about college planning at our free online and in-person workshops
The mission of LINK for Counselors is to provide information that keeps High School and Transfer Counselors informed. Everything we provide to you is free, at no-cost to you or your school.
A blog of content from our award winning magazine and other sources
College Profiles from Colleges and Universities that want to reach your students
College Night Handouts that you can download free to use in your resource center or to hand out at College Fairs
The most recent digital edition of LINK for Counselors
Easy registration to sign up for the magazine or our bi-weekly e-newsletter
The ThinkCollege National Coordinating Center has recently published a hyperdoc that shares links to about a dozen great resources related to transition to postsecondary education for students with intellectual disability. Make a copy of the doc and share it with your network.
Find MANY helpful videos on topics such as creating an FSA ID & trouble shooting issues, FAFSA form tips, student loan repayment and MORE.
Here is a quick online program Counselor’s might want to check out that will bring you up to speed on all the NCAA eligibility changes. It is self-paced so you can learn on your own schedule.
More Resources for Student's With Disabilities
More Resources for Student's With Disabilities
This collection of Assistive Technology (AT) encompasses a variety of tools employed by college campuses to accommodate a range of learning preferences and needs. Integrating these technologies into a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) accommodations can ensure they are well-equipped and familiar with the necessary technology upon their arrival at college. Download the resource today for reference.
Inclusive Postsecondary Education Resource
THINK COLLEGE is a national coordinating center for inclusive postsecondary education options and has developed a resource to assist middle and high school students with intellectual disabilities in preparing for college. The chart, Prepare for the Expectations of College in High School, covers three areas of postsecondary expectations: personal independence, academic engagement, and civic and social engagement. This resource may provide teams with suggestions for transition services and annual goals that support students with disabilities in attending college.
Think College launched their “Think Higher. Think College.” campaign to build awareness and expand access to college for students with intellectual disability. Check out their wonderful page of resources for educators!
This video series provides teachers and school personnel with a framework for organizing the five components of secondary transition planning in the areas of student-focused planning, family involvement, student development, program structure, and interagency collaboration. Check them out today.
"ACE-IT in College, VCU’s inclusive postsecondary program, is hosting three open houses this fall before the 2026 application goes live! This is an excellent opportunity to learn more about VCU, ACE-IT in College's inclusive postsecondary program, and the application process. Open houses will be held on campus on two Saturdays, September 27th and October 25th, and a virtual open house will be held on Wednesday, November 5th, in the evening. Please spread the word and RSVP to attend. "
Preparing students with disabilities for their futures
Preparing students with disabilities for their futures
"Virginia's Collaborative Model for Pre-Employment Transition Services offers the resources necessary to enrich Pre-ETS initiatives in the state. We provide the tools for collaborating, communicating, and coordinating services with student teams to improve postsecondary outcomes for students with disabilities. Explore resources spanning all five Pre-ETS categories, and join us in empowering every student's journey to success!"
ASCA Webinar: College and Career Support for Students with Disabilities Webinar
"College- and career-readiness supports are not equitable for all students. Disparities exists for a number of students, including students with disabilities. Those gaps are even more prominent among students of color with disabilities. Learn about results from the National Longitudinal Transition Study 2012, one of the only large-scale data sets that allows for a nationwide examination of these groups during and after high school. The secondary analyses is currently being conducted and continues to show disparities in college- and career-readiness supports between students with and students without disabilities. Learn about these findings along with concrete solutions for college- and career-readiness program delivery, management and assessment."
Other Helpful Resources
Other Helpful Resources
What is High-Quality Work-Based Learning?
Since 2018, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) has included high-quality work-based learning (WBL) as one of the options for meeting state graduation requirements. To graduate, students are required to either complete:
An Advanced Placement, honors, International Baccalaureate, or dual-enrollment course; or
Participate in an HQWBL experience; or
Earn a CTE credential.
"Work-based Learning (WBL) is a cornerstone of career readiness, offering students the opportunity to bridge classroom learning with real-world experiences. In Virginia, the integration of WBL aligns closely with the 3E Readiness Framework, which emphasizes the importance of preparing students for employment, enlistment, or enrollment in postsecondary education following high school graduation. This framework ensures that students engage in meaningful, outcome-based experiences that build upon their academic foundation and equip them for sustainable pathways in their future careers."
Transfer VA Overview Video for High School Counselors
This video provides an overview of the Transfer Virginia initiative and portal specifically for high school counselors and those working with high school students. Learn how to make the most of this resource.
TransferVirginia.org became available to students across the Commonwealth in November, 2021. The goal now is to get the TransferVirginia portal and the Credit2Careers portal available across Virginia on educational websites K-20 as applicable. The Transfer Virginia and Credits2Careers access flyer provides you with the needed information to add a presence on your school and division website. Legislation requires that these portals be highly accessible to students, adults, and veterans. Please help be a part of this effort!
College Transition for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): This video series highlights lived experiences and advice from college students with ASD as well as parents, high school counselors and college professors who provided important supports during the transition from high school to college. This video highlights the experience of a school counselor related to the transition of students with disabilities from high school to college.
College & Career Readiness Resources
College & Career Readiness Resources
Easily find scholarships that fit you
Fastweb is a free scholarship search platform that connects students to college scholarships, trade school scholarships, and financial aid tools. Our goal is to help you find scholarships to make college or vocational school more affordable.
"MajorClarity helps ensure that every student’s education leads to a successful career outcome, whether through a liberal arts degree or jumping straight into the workforce."
Seeds of Fortune is an online platform that helps young women of color in high school prepare for college by helping them apply for scholarships and career opportunities, including the following programs:
The Girls Start Up Business Plan helps girls develop social enterprise business ideas that will have an impact on the community in which they live, play, learn and work. Participants will have the opportunity to create a start-up business and website with help from Wix.com, present their business website to judges and receive college prep resources. Learn more on the Seeds of Fortune Website.
Danny Rubin’s YouTube Channel provides access to virtual internship videos, webinars with professionals sharing about careers, videos to help students prepare for interviews, and SO MUCH MORE!
VTOP Student Internship Toolkit
This series of online modules will cover topics such as tools and strategies for seeking an internship, resume development, interviews, preparing for your first few days in the internship, maximizing your experience, and ending the internship professionally. Check out more resources here and view the VTOP informational one pager for more information!
Discovering ME! helps students with significant barriers to employment find and maintain employment in careers that align with their strengths and interests. Discovering ME! uses a youth-focused and person-centered transition assessment to build a foundation of work skills and customized work-based learning experiences.
This free guide is designed to assist student teams in implementing the Discovering ME! process. Through this process, students with significant barriers to employment will build early, customized work-based learning experiences.
Career Exploration
Career Exploration
For Students with Disabilities
For Students with Disabilities
Excellent assessment for EL students or students with disabilities. This super-quick quiz doesn't require any reading at all. Students can choose the images that appeal to them most and discover how their choices can point them toward their ideal career. Based on the well-respected Holland Code system, this quiz provides a brief yet complete assessment of student’s career interest areas.
VirtualJobShadow.com empowers individuals to discover, plan and pursue their dreams with our unique video-based career planning platform. Our interactive tools help students and job seekers develop career paths based on choice, not chance.
A website for career exploration - whether you know what you want to do or NOT.
A website for career exploration - whether you know what you want to do or NOT.
The site that helps individuals define their roadmap to discover who they are, where they are going, and the first steps to get there.
"A one-stop source to connect career seekers, employers, and education partners with apprenticeship resources."
"A one-stop source to connect career seekers, employers, and education partners with apprenticeship resources."
VIRTUAL JOB SHADOW
VIRTUAL JOB SHADOW
Are you using the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Special Education Instructional Services (SEIS) purchased subscriptions for Virtual Job Shadow? If so, check out these great, new, and free features:
Virtual Job Shadow (VJS) has just released the O*NET Ability Profiler Aptitude Test! This can be used as an “age appropriate transition assessment”. It measures job-relevant abilities with automatic scoring for end users in verbal, math, computation, spatial, form perception and clerical perception. There is no cost associated with this assessment, if you are using the VDOE SEIS subscription.
The Scholarship Search is now active and available on the Dashboard under the Colleges tab. Students can refine the search filters by: a) State, b) School Type, c) Award Amount, and d) Area of Study.
Another new feature in the Career Central section is Choosing a First Job. This can be daunting for many students. VJS has included a new filter in the Career Central section. Students will soon be able to sort by "First Jobs" and see what types of jobs would be a good fit for someone entering the workforce.
Virtual Job Shadow Junior (VJS JR) also added a new feature. The Spanish-language translation is now available for the Career Clusters Interest Survey (CCIS-EZ) assessment in VJS JR. This is an abbreviated version of the Career Clusters Interest Survey that matches a student's interests to Career Clusters based on the activities they most enjoy.
Roadmaps help us start a journey and track our progress on that journey. VJS has created roadmaps for students, and this can be located under the Quick Start Resources section of the Help Center. They also just added a Pre- Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) Roadmap, and it is aligned with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA). It is intended to support students on their transition into adulthood.
What You Need to Know
What You Need to Know
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR IN TRANSITION PLANNING?
"You are Important! School Counselors can provide many valuable insights at an IEP meeting, from knowledge of postsecondary education programs to school classes and preparations that lead to successful post-school entry. Counselors can help IEP team members think ahead and prepare students in their course of study so they have the scope and sequence of classes needed for admission to postsecondary programs or entry into high quality employment following high school exit."
This module provides information for counselors and other education professionals to assist high school students with disabilities in the transition from the school environment to a post-school setting (est. completion time: 1.5 hours).
"Successful transition planning that includes postsecondary and education goals, with continued engagement and partnership with VR and Education, may increase students’ ability to reach their education and employment goals. Use these resources to support youth to reach their post-secondary education goals."
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