South Carolina Career Development Association

Back to the future
with virtual conference

“Roads? Where we’re going, we don’t need roads.” Dr. Emmett Brown

That’s right. You don’t need a road, car, or time travel to participate in our next event. We’re keeping things virtual this fall with a conference sure to take you Back to the Future on November 10, 2021.Truth be told, we hoped to bring everyone back together, in person, like the good old days. But, we lived and learned in 2020, and delivering the content through your computer once again just makes good sense. While it may seem like we’re literally going backwards after experiencing such promise this spring, we must keep future focused as career developers. We can’t Marty McFly our way back in time and course correct history, but we can continue to develop ourselves and those around us so we are equipped for whatever the future holds.

So, registration is now open! You know what to do.

Inspired by you,
Dr. Aimeé C. Carter, GCDF, CCSP

Back to the Future: Getting Back to Developing the Workforce of the Future

This past year, the world of work has seen drastic changes that have impacted career development in many ways:

Prioritizing diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace
Booming remote work opportunities
Pivoting from layoff to entrepreneurship
More free workforce training options to upskill/reskill

SCCDA’s Fall 2021 Conference focuses on how career practitioners can assist their clients with navigating these exciting opportunities and leveraging their own skills and passions to build a bright future.

Students in the Palmetto State Dominate poetry and art contest

South Carolina garnered nearly half of all national winners in the National Career Development Association’s 55th annual poetry and art contest celebrating National Career Development Month.

The theme for the 55th annual Poetry & Art contest was "My Future Career: Imagine the Possibilities!" And imagine the possibilities they did -- Palmetto State students had 23 winning submissions of the 48 at the national level, 9 of which were first place, according to state contest coordinator Kimberly Cartledge.

Cartledge is a member of the South Carolina Career Development Association, the local division of NCDA. The SCCDA is an all-inclusive and collaborative statewide organization of more than 90 industry professionals that connect on issues, policies and practices relating to career and workforce development, pathways, and transitions while inspiring one another to grow professionally!

The winning art and poetry entries for each division are displayed on the NCDA website, http://www.ncda.org, and at the upcoming Global Career Development Conference. National winners also receive a special certificate from NCDA.

Winners from South Carolina in each division are below:

Poetry:

Primary K-2

1st- Mackenzie Mallicoat 

2nd- Ashlynn Mallicoat 

Middle 6-8

2nd- Maricella Gonzalez 

Senior 9-12

1st-Cora Weems 

Adult -open

1st- Linda Maxwell 

2nd- Jamie Langston 

Art: Category C-1

Primary K-2

1st- Keyli Andrade

2nd- Ivanielz Melendez Gonzalez

Intermediate 3-5

2nd- Oliver Atkins

Middle 6-8

1st- Maricella Gonzalez 

2nd-Lucy Pruitt 

3rd- Jodi McHugh

Senior 9-12

1st- Ashley Felipe 

2nd- Alejandra Carranza-Lima 

Art : Category C-2

Primary K-2

1st- Isabella Jennings 

2nd-Kennedy Cooper

Intermediate 3-5

2nd- Emily Serna 

3rd- Adalyn Simmons 

Middle 6-8

1st- Willow Wrighton 

3rd- Madison Egge 

Senior 9-12

1st- Reagan Taylor

2nd- Madison Kudrick

3rd- Derek Burk

In addition to coordinating the state art and poetry contest, SCCDA provides state-specific services to public and professionals involved with or interested in career development, including professional development activities, industry related resources, professional standards, advocacy and recognition for achievement and service.

For more information on SCCDA or to become a member, go to https://sccda.wildapricot.org/join-us.

Thank you,

SCCDA

Announcing the 2021 NCDA Virtual Conference Scholarship!

Current SCCDA members in good standing with the organization are invited to apply for this scholarship award covering the cost of registration for the 2021 NCDA Virtual Conference. This award is given in honor of our SCCDA Past Presidents as they continue to INSPIRE.

The conference will be delivered virtually June 29 – July 1, 2021. Qualifications and requirements are detailed in the attached application. To be considered for the scholarship, the completed application is due by 5:00 pm on Monday, May 24. The awardee will be notified by Friday, May 28 at which time the process to register, cancelation policy, and other details will be reviewed. 

Complete this application and submit to oursccda@gmail.com by 5 pm on Monday, May 24, 2021.

SCCDA Seeks Nominations for Board Positions for the 2021-2022 Year!

As an active member of SCCDA, you are invited to participate in two opportunities:  

• Serving on the Elections Committee
• Applying or nominating members for the 2021-2022 year

ELECTIONS COMMITTEE:

Elections for SCCDA's Executive Board will open on March 1, 2021.  Prior to presenting the slate of officers to the general membership for voting, we need 2 active members on the Elections Committee.  If you have a desire to participate in SCCDA's leadership but have just a small amount of time to invest, this is the perfect short-term, volunteer opportunity. If interested, email Sherry Williams at swilliams@lexington1.net no later than February 15, 2021 to indicate your interest.   Your service on our committee will take one month of your time via 5 zoom conversations to:

• Collect applications from March 1 - March 15
• Meet virtually to put together the slate of officers on March 16
• Present the slate of officers to the Board and membership for vote March 16 - March 31
• Confirm winners on April 1, contact winners to confirm acceptance, and present confirmed slate of officers to Board
• Present winners to the general membership on April 2

EXECUTIVE BOARD NOMINATIONS:

SCCDA Seeks Nominations for Board Positions for the 2021-2022 Year!

SCCDA is preparing for our annual elections for Board positions. The next term starts May 1, 2021 – April 30, 2022, and we are hoping you will consider joining us! Any SCCDA and NCDA member is qualified to run for the Board.

We are seeking to fill the President and President-Elect positions on the Executive Board. The guidelines are:

President:

• Ideally should have served on the board before assuming the president-elect position.  The candidates must have at least 2 years of membership with SCCDA and/or NCDA before candidacy.
• Shall preside at all meetings of the Association and the Executive Committee of the Board
• Shall exercise general supervision of all activities of the Association. This will include appointing people to serve on all standing committees as stipulated by the bylaws. 
• Shall submit an annual report including major achievements, concerns, financial standing, and changes to the Board upon leaving office, available to any member upon request. This report shall be stored in the SCCDA archive. 
• Must be a National Career Development Association (NCDA) member. 
• The approximate time involved per month in this role is 3-5 hours (2 hours for Board Meetings and approximately 1-3 hours for committee and/or project work, depending on specific projects).  At times, this role may require more than 5 hours per month.  
• Shall serve one term as Past President.

President-Elect:

• Committed to serving a three-year term: President-Elect, President, Immediate Past President
• Ideally should have served on the board before assuming the president-elect- position.  The candidates must have at least 2 years of membership with SCCDA and/or NCDA before candidacy
• Shall assist the President in exercising the general supervision of the Leadership Committees of the Board to include appointing Chairs/Co-chairs to serve in specific ongoing leadership roles
• Shall perform all duties of the President in their absence and in case of vacancy shall become President for the remainder of the term (3 -year term-includes President, Past President).  
• Must be a NCDA member and have served on the SCCDA Board, or as an active SCCDA committee leader or member demonstrating exemplary leadership skills.  
• Provide ideas, information, and participate in work groups/ committees while taking on projects or assignments.  
• Must also support annual and long-term goals and strategies.
• The approximate time involved per month in this role is 3-5 hours (2 hours for Board Meetings and approximately 1-3 hours for committee and/or project work, depending on specific projects).  At times, this role may require more than 5 hours per month.

Members are encouraged to self-nominate or recommend an interested and eligible colleague. To be included in the list of candidates for Board election, please submit a Nomination Application, a resume,  and Candidate Commitment Form by March 1, 2021, to Sherry Williams, Past-President and Nominations Committee Chairperson, swilliams@lexington1.net.  

Nominees will be presented to the entire membership for voting on March 15, 2021.  Current members will be sent a link on March 16 to vote no later than March 31, 2021. 

A new year is upon us.

We will be ringing in the year 2021 in just a few short weeks. Our holiday celebrations will look and feel different this year as we continue to find ways to live, work, and love during this pandemic.

Many of us just can’t wait! The promise of hope, a fresh start, and renewal that accompanies each new year is especially needed. While I’m ready for some relief, I keep reminding myself that this moment, however challenging, should be remembered. I’m not talking about the annoying masks or constant physical calibration to maintain distance. I mean savoring the unique and special connections we are creatively making, the permission to slow down and stay home, the push to deepen my faith, and the call to be more kind and helpful to those in need.

This brings me straight to our fall conference theme of emotional intelligence. During my opening remarks I shared this simple definition -- the ability to identify and manage one’s own emotions, as well as the emotions of others. This year has given us plenty of opportunities to demonstrate and develop emotional intelligence. I imagine this year’s holiday season will as well, and I say let’s embrace it. We will be stronger career practitioners for it!

I wish you and your loved ones a safe and memorable holiday. And, here’s to a new year full of possibilities. Cheers!

Inspired by you,

Dr. Aimeé C. Carter, GCDF, CCSP

As you contemplate your response, consider this quote from NPR podcaster Michele Norris:   

"We are all going through a significant period of evolution…it feels burdensome right now because so much has been taken from us. But there's such an incredible opportunity to decide how you want to show up in the new world. Because it will be a new world. And my greatest hope is that we don't reach for normal, that we reach for better."

I’m struck by this idea of looking for something better, reaching for something beyond what used to be normal. The notion we can maximize this unbelievable moment as opposed to just getting by or sticking it out is a perspective I’m sharing at home, at work, and with you!

As a member of SCCDA, I invite you to reach for better with us. Stay well, and I hope to see you at our virtual conference on November 5^th.  

Inspired by you,

Dr. Aimeé C. Carter, GCDF, CCSP

Hello SCCDA Members!

I am thrilled to be writing you as the 2020-21 president for the South Carolina Career Development Association, but I am compelled to share I’m not sure what to say. 

I never thought I’d be drafting such a letter from a make-shift home office during a global pandemic. Chances are, you’re reading this on your phone or tablet with flooding thoughts about what work and life will be like next week, next month. Given our shared interest in career development, you likely have concerns about your students and clients. Tack on concerns about family and friends, and I’m right there with you. It is all very overwhelming, but hang with me… keep reading. 

If ever there was a time to serve and support those who have an interest in career and workforce development issues in South Carolina, now is that time!  That’s the mission of the SCCDA, and I’m so glad you are a part of it.

Many changes have occurred in a few short months, but SCCDA is ready for the challenge. Even before COVID-19, we were planning virtual professional development and hosted our first webinar at no cost to members in April. Don’t worry if you missed it. Just log into your SCCDA account to view this quick and informative webinar on generations in the workplace. 

Looking ahead to the Fall, our goal is to deliver content and practical benefits to you via video conferencing, email, social media, and other means that make this unprecedented, transitional time impactful, easy, and accessible. Connection to our community of practitioners and professional growth will continue!

I am committed to this organization and to you, so reach out directly with your ideas and questions. Watch your inbox and the website for updates! I can’t wait to hear from you. 

We will thrive together! 

Inspired by you, 

Dr. Aimeé C. Carter, GCDF, CCSP

The South Carolina Career Development Association (SCCDA) is preparing for our annual elections for Board positions. The next term starts May 1, 2020 – April 30, 2021 and we are hoping you will consider joining us! Any SCCDA and NCDA member is qualified to run for the Board.

We are seeking to fill the President Elect, Secretary, and Treasurer positions on the Executive Board. The guidelines are:

President Elect:

• ·         Committed to serving a three-year term: President Elect, President, Immediate Past President
• ·         Must be a NCDA member and have served on the SCCDA Board, or as an active SCCDA committee leader or member demonstrating exemplary leadership skills
• ·         Attend monthly meetings- you can attend remotely if unable to be in person
• ·         Provide ideas , input and information
• ·         Participate in work groups/committees and take on projects or assignments
• ·         Support annual and long-term goals and strategies
• ·         Consult by-laws for a full list of duties

**Interviews will be conducted if multiple nominations are submitted and decisions will be based on leadership skills and service to SCCDA.

Secretary (2 year term)

• ·         Committed to serving a two year term
• ·         Keep a record of the proceedings of the general and Executive Board meetings
• ·         Keep records of committee reports and other Board documents
• ·         Must be and remain a current SCCDA and NCDA  member
• ·         Attend monthly meetings- you can attend remotely if unable to be in person
• ·         Provide ideas , input and information
• ·         Participate in work groups/committees and take on projects or assignments
• ·         Support annual and long-term goals and strategies
• ·         Consult by-laws for a full list of duties

Treasurer (2 year term)

·         Committed to serving a two year term

• ·         Ensure payments are timely made and keep accurate account of funds received and disbursed
• ·         Present financial report at monthly Board meetings of the Association
• ·         Submit monthly financial report of expenditures and revenues to the Board along with an annual report at end of fiscal year. The Association’s accounts will be reviewed regularly by the Board.
• ·         Must be and remain a current SCCDA and NCDA  member
• ·         Attend monthly meetings- you can attend remotely if unable to be in person
• ·         Provide ideas , input and information
• ·         Participate in work groups/committees and take on projects or assignments
• ·         Support annual and long-term goals and strategies
• ·         Consult by-laws for a full list of duties

The approximate time involved per month is 3-5 hours (2 hours for Board Meetings and approximately 1-3 hours for committee and/or project work, depending on specific projects)

Members are encouraged to self-nominate or recommend an interested NCDA colleague. To be included in the list of candidates for Board election, please submit an application  to Sylvie Golod Nominees will be presented to the entire membership for voting; details regarding the process will be announced at a later date.

We thank you for your interest in SCCDA and look forward to another great year!

The South Carolina Department of Education Career Specialist Toolkit is a webpage of resources dedicated to assiisting Career Specialist and School Counselors/Career Guidance Personnel. 

Click Here to Access The Toolkit