Community Partnerships

A major emphasis of the UMD School Counseling Program training is on clinical experiences in partnerships with local school districts. These partnerships foster an understanding of multicultural and diverse student populations and mastering counseling techniques that promote their educational empowerment in urban school settings. Consistent with the belief that counseling is for all children, the school counseling program has a focus on advocacy, equity, and social justice in delivering counseling services in culturally diverse settings. The program aims to develop professional school counselors who are leaders and advocates for systemic change.


Prince George's Public County Schools Prince George's Public County Schools (PGCPS), one of the nation's 20th largest school districts, has 208 schools and centers, more than 136,500 students and nearly 22.000 employees. The school system serves a diverse student population from urban, suburban, and rural communities located in the Washington DC suburbs. PGCPS is nationally recognized for college and career-readiness programs that provide students with unique learning opportunities, including dual enrollment and language immersion.

Prince George's Public County Schools

Prince George's Public County Schools (PGCPS), one of the nation's 20th largest school districts, has 208 schools and centers, more than 136,500 students and nearly 22.000 employees. The school system serves a diverse student population from urban, suburban, and rural communities located in the Washington DC suburbs. PGCPS is nationally recognized for college and career-readiness programs that provide students with unique learning opportunities, including dual enrollment and language immersion.


Build, Recruit, and Improve Capacity and Knowledge for Mental Health in Schools (BRICK) Amid increasing mental health issues in youth spurred by the pandemic, a new University of Maryland College of Education (COE) course is preparing school counselors and school counseling graduate students to better address mental health issues in Prince George’s County Public Schools middle and high school students. The BRICK initiative resulted from a $1.3 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education awarded to Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) system, which partnered with the university to develop the course, with UMD receiving $342,000 of the five-year grant. BRICK aims to help practicing PGCPS counselors and school counseling graduate student interns address comprehensive wellness and mental health issues and needs. It provides training in recognizing signs of mental health struggles and details resources available to school counselors for addressing mental health issues.

Build, Recruit, and Improve Capacity and Knowledge for Mental Health in Schools (BRICK)

Amid increasing mental health issues in youth spurred by the pandemic, a new University of Maryland College of Education (COE) course is preparing school counselors and school counseling graduate students to better address mental health issues in Prince George’s County Public Schools middle and high school students. The BRICK initiative resulted from a $1.3 million grant by the U.S. Department of Education awarded to Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) system, which partnered with the university to develop the course, with UMD receiving $342,000 of the five-year grant. BRICK aims to help practicing PGCPS counselors and school counseling graduate student interns address comprehensive wellness and mental health issues and needs. It provides training in recognizing signs of mental health struggles and details resources available to school counselors for addressing mental health issues.


Virtual Sunshine: A Virtual Community Partnership Virtual Sunshine was a much-needed beacon of support for school counselors navigating the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic. This collaborative project, launched in April 2020 by the University of Maryland and Bowie State University School Counseling Programs, provided a valuable resource library of virtual counseling lessons for elementary, middle, and high school students. With over 5,700 views across 16 videos, Virtual Sunshine empowered counselors to continue providing essential social-emotional support to students during a time of immense transition and uncertainty. This initiative demonstrated a commitment to innovation and collaboration in response to the evolving needs of educators and students alike.

Virtual Sunshine: A Virtual Community Partnership

Virtual Sunshine was a much-needed beacon of support for school counselors navigating the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic. This collaborative project, launched in April 2020 by the University of Maryland and Bowie State University School Counseling Programs, provided a valuable resource library of virtual counseling lessons for elementary, middle, and high school students. With over 5,700 views across 16 videos, Virtual Sunshine empowered counselors to continue providing essential social-emotional support to students during a time of immense transition and uncertainty. This initiative demonstrated a commitment to innovation and collaboration in response to the evolving needs of educators and students alike.


Supporting Immigrant Students for Professional School Counselors This program was designed with the collaboration of Prince George’s County schools. Participants must hold a Masters degree in School Counseling and have approval from PGCPS. This program currently operates exclusively through a school district partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools. As such, this program is not open to admissions for individuals outside of this partnership. Program activities will focus on (a) helping students and families manage family trauma, post-traumatic stress, culture shock, and poverty, as well as (b) promoting students’ health, well-being, English language acquisition, acculturation, academic achievement, and socioemotional growth and development. The courses will teach professional school counselors about U.S. immigration policy and the migration process. Courses will also inform participants of the unique trauma that can occur during migration and its lasting impacts on student learning.

Supporting Immigrant Students for Professional School Counselors

This program was designed with the collaboration of Prince George’s County schools. Participants must hold a Masters degree in School Counseling and have approval from PGCPS. This program currently operates exclusively through a school district partnership with Prince George’s County Public Schools. As such, this program is not open to admissions for individuals outside of this partnership. Program activities will focus on (a) helping students and families manage family trauma, post-traumatic stress, culture shock, and poverty, as well as (b) promoting students’ health, well-being, English language acquisition, acculturation, academic achievement, and socioemotional growth and development. The courses will teach professional school counselors about U.S. immigration policy and the migration process. Courses will also inform participants of the unique trauma that can occur during migration and its lasting impacts on student learning.

School Counseling Master of Education (M.Ed.)

Community Partnerships