Strengthen counselors’ confidence, competence, and
connections for successfully accompanying students to a meaningful
life beyond high school.
College campus visits; workshops with leaders in mental health,
college and career counseling; discussions, Mass and Meditations
Program Partners:
Mike Schell, Head of School – Sparhawk Academy
Kyle Pietrantonio, Executive Director, Duc in Altum
Dr. Greg Bottaro, Founder of Catholic Psych Institute
Sarah Hogan, Director of College & Alumni Engagement, Providence Academy (MN)
Programming Notes
● Themes: Counseling Students and Parents for The Long Game; Finding Fit with Focus on Personal Calling
● College Visits: Boston University, Northeastern University
● Networking event with college regional reps in Greater Boston
● Workshop focus on teenage mental health (Catholic Psych Institute); navigating difficult conversations; trends in college admissions; counselor best practices; creating a one-of-a-kind network of Catholic school counseling leaders and friends
● Feature Keynote from Brennan Barnard, Co-author of The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together, Director of College Counseling at Khan Lab High School, College Counseling Director at College Guidance Network, Advisor for Making Caring Common, a project of the Harvard Graduate School of Education
Agenda
*DAY 1 Tuesday, June 25, 2024 – Workshops with Dr. Greg Bottaro
8:00 a.m. Coffee and light breakfast (Sparhawk)
9:00 a.m. Holy Mass at Sparhawk Academy
9:30 a.m. Welcome and Intros
10 a.m. Dr. Greg Bottaro, Catholic Psych Institute, Session 1 
11:30 a.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. Dr. Greg Bottaro, Catholic Psych Institute, Session 2
4:00 p.m. Depart for Hotel
6:00 p.m. Depart hotel for Catered Dinner and Conversation at Sparhawk
*Out-of-Town Arrivals by Monday evening, June 24, 2024
DAY 2 Wednesday, June 26, 2024 – Boston Area College Visits
8:00 a.m. Depart Hotel for Boston University
9:00 a.m. Info Session/Tour
Noon Lunch with Boston Area Campus FOCUS and “Discover Catholic Tech” session
1:30-3:30pm Northeastern afternoon visit
4:30 p.m. Depart Northeastern for the Hotel
6:00 p.m. Catered dinner and drinks with college admissions representatives
from NEARR (New England Area Regional Reps) and additional colleges at Sparhawk
DAY 3 Thursday, June 27, 2024 – Wrap Up and Next Steps
8:00 a.m. Depart Hotel for Sparhawk Academy
8:30 a.m. Breakfast Session
9:00 a.m. Keynote Session with Brennan Barnard: Introduction to the College Guidance Network (CGN) Roadmap
10:00 a.m. Closing Roundtable: “What are the Sleepers?”
Cost:
$750 Program Fee covers:
● Program participation, including catered events at Sparhawk Academy
● Certificate from the Catholic Psych Institute
● $100 discount for counselors from DIA Member Schools
● DIA 2024 Annual Summit Counselor Fellowship Event in Houston (register for the DIA Summit separately)
● Book Copies: The Mindful Catholic (Dr. Greg Botarro) and The Truth about College Admission: A Family Guide to Getting In and Staying Together (Brennan Barnard and Rick Clark), Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life (Luke Burgis)
Lodging:
Here is the link to book a hotel room at the nearby Hilton in Walpole, MA:
https://www.hilton.com/en/attend-my-event/boswkht-spa-5efc7434-b580-4fe9-abfd-a5a59d8a2319/