2026 Spring Conference Registration

This year’s theme is inspired by the Headwaters near Bozeman, Montana, where the Madison, Gallatin, and Jefferson Rivers come together to form the Missouri River. The Headwaters symbolize a beginning, a place where something small grows into something powerful and far-reaching. In the same way, our work as school counselors begins with purpose—our “why.” Just as rivers flow outward from their source, our dedication to students, families, and schools flows from the values, motivations, and roots that first inspired us to enter this profession. Through this theme, we invite you to reconnect with your own headwaters: the core purpose that fuels your service, guides your practice, and sustains your commitment to student success.

Ten Montana OPI and LCPC/LCSW/LMFT continuing education credits available. A light breakfast and lunch are included in the registration price and will be provided on both days.

For questions about the conference, please reach out to one of the Conference Committee Co-Chairs: Tanya Kirschman – [email protected] or Elizabeth Clark – [email protected].

Scroll down to find details about in-person conference fees, the general schedule, keynote speakers, and available hotel accommodations.

Ready to register to attend in Bozeman? You're in the right place!

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS

TERRI TCHORZYNSKI, M.A., External Trainer, Consultant and Keynote Speaker | Hatching Results

The Power of a Ripple Effect for ALL Students

Ripple effects are created by small disruptions that have the power and potential to continue to spread far beyond the starting point. In education, we are given daily opportunities to ignite ripple effects with our students that have the power and potential to transcend the walls of our schools and positively impact their life trajectory. These are opportunities that we should not take lightly and should be done with thoughtfulness and intentionality.

Discover proactive strategies that are designed to have more control over your time so you can be more intentional about how you can best support your students. Identify strategies and best practices that empower you to use data to transform student learning, connect mental health supports with academic achievement, and build systems that reach ALL students to ensure no one falls through the cracks. What positive ‘ripple effects’ do you want to start with your students and how can they go by reaching their full potential?

Terri Tchorzynski is a nationally recognized school counselor, educator, and passionate advocate for comprehensive, data-informed programs that emphasize intentional, proactive systems. With nearly 25 years of diverse experience that encompasses classroom instruction, school counseling, professional coaching/consultation, and leadership at both state and national levels, she has earned a reputation as a go-to speaker for impactful, practitioner-focused strategies that drive immediate implementation and results. As a former National School Counselor of the Year and a pioneer in leading the transformation of her department from a reactive program into one of Michigan’s first schools recognized as an ASCA Model Program (RAMP), Terri possesses a wealth of expertise and experience. Her approach is rooted in repositioning current realities and challenges to develop solution-focused strategies that deliver immediate results. Guided by her passion for fostering educational excellence, Terri thrives on facilitating professional learning by equipping school counselors and educators with practical strategies, best practices, and resources to positively impact student outcomes. She is dedicated to redesigning systems to be more equitable and inclusive, ensuring they reflect the diversity of the entire school community. She is committed to developing accountability frameworks that place students at the heart of desired outcomes.

LORCA SMETANA, M.A., Trainer and Keynote Speaker 

Holding the Lake: Sustaining Care, Capacity and Hope in School Counseling

School counselors play a vital role in supporting students' academic, social-emotional and career development while navigating increasing complexity and demand. In this keynote, resilience educator Lorca Smetana uses the metaphor of a lake - shaped by what flows in, what flows out, and how replenishment is protected - to reframe burnout as an ecosystem challenge rather than as individual failure. Grounded in resilience research, the session offers low-burden, high-impact strategies to support counselor well-being, nervous system regulation and sustainable professional practice. Attendees will leave with practical tools, renewed clarity, and language to advocate for systems that sustain both counselor capacity and student success.

Lorca Smetana is a resilience educator, strategist, and wayfinder with decades of original work on building truly resilient human systems. A survivor of the 1986 Mt. Hood mountaineering tragedy, she brings lived experience to her research and teaching on endurance, recovery, and meaning-making in demanding roles. Lorca holds a master's degree in international diplomacy, has taught resilient leadership at Montana State University, and is a TEDx speaker, celebrant, artist, and author. Working from a regenerative farm outside of Bozeman, she partners with educators, leaders, and communities to design for energy, compassion, innovation, and sustainable care—especially where the work requires holding both the hard and the beautiful.