Whereas the American School Counselor Association has designated the week of February 3, 2025, through February 7, 2025, as National School Counseling Week;

Whereas school counselors have long advocated that the education system of the United States must provide equitable opportunities for all students;

Whereas school counselors have long emphasized the importance of personal and social development in contributing to academic achievement;

Whereas school counselors help develop well-rounded students by guiding them through their academic, social-emotional, and career development;

Whereas school counselors play a vital role in ensuring that students are college and career ready and aware of financial aid and college opportunities;

Whereas school counselors may encourage students to pursue challenging academic courses to prepare them for college majors and careers in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields;

Whereas school counselors provide support for students whose family members have been deployed to conflicts overseas;

Whereas school counselors help students cope with serious and common challenges of growing up, including peer pressure, bullying, mental health issues, school violence, disciplinary problems, and problems in the home;

Whereas school counselors are also instrumental in helping students, teachers, and parents cope with trauma and community and national tragedies;

Whereas school counselors are among the few professionals in a school building that are trained in both education and social and emotional development;

Whereas, despite the important contributions of school counselors to student success, counseling positions are not always protected when local budgets are cut, especially in tough economic times;

Whereas the average student-to-counselor ratio in the Nation’s public schools, 376-to-1, far exceeds the 250-to-1 ratio recommended by the American School Counselor Association, the National Association for College Admission Counseling, and other organizations;

Whereas the celebration of National School Counseling Week would increase awareness of the important and necessary role school counselors play in the lives of students in the United States; and

Whereas the week of February 3, 2025, through February 7, 2025, would be an appropriate week to designate as National School Counseling Week: Now, therefore, be it