HIAWATHA, IOWA — (August 17, 2026) — As Iowa school counselors prepare to welcome students for the 2026–27 school year, ICAN is helping counselors start the year with the information, strategies and resources they need to support students and families with career and college planning.

ICAN's annual On Track professional development series, presented in partnership with the Iowa School Counselor Association (ISCA), provides timely training focused on career, college and postsecondary planning.

The sessions are designed to help counselors navigate an increasingly complex planning landscape while giving students and families practical guidance about what comes next.

“School counselors are asked to support students in so many areas, and career and college planning is just one part of that responsibility,” said Carrie Talbott, Curriculum and Professional Learning Strategist at ICAN. “Our goal with On Track is to give counselors practical information and resources they can take back to their schools and use immediately.”

On Track features two professional learning opportunities. The School Counselor Virtual Summit is provides updates on career and college advising trends, strategies, and best practices, as well as introduces new tools and resources to support student success. The session also includes an interactive panel discussion featuring higher education professionals. 

The second event is the New School Counselor Bootcamp, a session designed for counselors new to the profession and graduate students studying to become school counselors. The session explores the school counselor's role in career and college readiness. Attendees receive an overview of resources, tools, and strategies to support students across all grade levels K-12. The session also includes practical guidance for building and implementing a comprehensive career and college readiness program.

ICAN also provides counselors with resources that can extend beyond professional development sessions, including career and college planning curriculum, student and family resources, planning tools and access to ICAN advising services.

The partnership between ICAN and school counselors is particularly important as students consider an increasingly diverse range of options after high school.

“Postsecondary planning has changed significantly, and students have more pathways than ever,” Talbott said. “Counselors don't need to have every answer themselves. They need access to reliable information, resources and partners who can help them support their students.”

Throughout the 2026–27 school year, ICAN will continue working with Iowa schools and counselors to provide resources and guidance for students at every stage of the career and college planning process.

Counselors and schools can learn more about ICAN's On Track professional learning opportunities and school resources at www.icansucceed.org/ontrack.

About ICAN

ICAN is a nonprofit, educational organization. ICAN is the College Access Network for Iowa, and a member of the National College Access Network (NCAN). ICAN has locations in Ankeny, Bettendorf, Cedar Falls, Cedar Rapids, Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Iowa City, and Sioux City, which provide programming and advising support to students and their families as they plan for education and training after high school. All ICAN programs and services are provided without charge. For more information about ICAN, call (877) 272-4692 or visit www.ICANsucceed.org.