Our program offers a virtual professional development opportunity for educators and counselors involved in college and career pathway planning for Native American students.
Participants engage in expert-led workshops designed to increase evidence-based best practices in college and career counseling. We explore equity and belonging concepts in counseling, the value of family and community engagement in career development and the importance of career assessment tools for future success.
We meet virtually on the first and third Wednesday of the month, from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time.
This program operates as a closed cohort through an application process. For more information about the ECHO for Southwest College & Career Counseling Program, email our team.
We are targeting educators and counselors engaged in college and career counseling in New Mexico and Oklahoma who work in rural or underserved schools with a high Native American population.
Lightsey is the Executive Director of College and Career Readiness at Oklahoma State Department of Education. She manages ICAP Implementation, post-secondary partnerships, and college and career readiness strategies. Lightsey began her professional career as the communications associate for Oklahoma Institute for Child Advocacy. She later served as the upward bound advisor for Seminole State College’s TRiO program, an advisor for Seminole State Colleges GEAR UP program, and later was the Director of Career Development at Oklahoma Baptist University. Email Lightsey.
Yazzie (Diné, Tesuque Pueblo, Salt River Pima) is a school counselor at Farmington High School in New Mexico and the Native American Youth Advisor for Farmington’s Johnson O’Malley Programs.
She is an alumna of the University of New Mexico and is pursuing her Master of Arts degree with Arizona State University. Ms. Yazzie enjoys collaborating with her community to increase the overall quality of life for youth through academic support, prevention programs, cultural mentoring and college and career advisement support. Email Yazzie.
Kennedy is a school counselor at Capital Municipal Schools in New Mexico. She has served a subject matter expert for various ECHO for Education programs, including those social emotional learning and supporting & inspiring teachers. Email Kennedy.
Harris is a Professor, Chair of Educational Leadership at Oklahoma State University, and Director at Project ECHO at Oklahoma State University. He is an Administrator for the Brock International Prize in Education, which finds and awards the best educational ideas and shares them with the world. He has served as Associate Dean of Administrative Affairs; Director of Research, Extension, Technology and International Programs, and Coordinator of EDLE Domestic and International Cohorts at Oklahoma State University. Email Dr. Harris.
