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Lakeview Elementary Team Honored With Gysbers School Counseling Award

Nov. 11, 2024

The School Counseling Section of the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) announced Lakeview Elementary School (LVE) as one of the recipients of the Gysbers Comprehensive School Counseling Award. LVE counselors Stephanie Davenport and Alissa Erbs were honored with the award. 

Gysbers Award

The award is for individual schools whose school counseling programs have reached a level of implementation that emphasizes the positive impact of the school counseling program on student success and the school community.

“While the award is exciting and it was a wonderful experience to sit at a table with the heads of the School Counseling department at DESE, the real win is how our students, staff, and families have benefitted from us working on and growing our program in recent years,” said Davenport. “We've had an impact on attendance, belonging, and we feel more connected than ever to the students, staff, and families we serve.”

A school counseling program that earns this award serves as a model for programs that:

  • Emphasize the impact of comprehensive school counseling programs on systemic change within their schools.

  • Use data to create positive change that benefits students and schools.

  • Consistently work towards continuous program improvement.

  • Embrace the collaboration of all stakeholders within the school community to build a program based upon student needs and outcomes.

The award was presented at the MSCA Professional Recognition Ceremony on Nov. 4, 2024, at Tan-Tar-A Conference Center in the Compass Rose Ballroom located at Osage Beach, Mo.