As you look ahead to the new school year, summer offers a valuable window to reset, plan, and strengthen your approach to student support.
ACT is bringing together a series of professional learning opportunities that extend from mid-summer through fall, giving you multiple ways to stay informed, connected, and equipped for the year ahead.
These experiences are designed to build on one another, helping you move from foundational knowledge to deeper implementation and ongoing support.
Kick off your summer learning at the 2026 ACT Summit, where leaders from K–12, higher education, and workforce sectors come together to tackle today’s most pressing challenges.
This event brings together diverse perspectives to share actionable insights and innovative strategies that help shape the future of education and the workforce.
Start your summer learning with the ACT Counselor Summer Webinar Series, a flexible, four-session experience designed to support the real challenges counselors are navigating right now. Each session will be hosted by a member of the ACT Counselor Outreach Team.
Whether you are supporting first-generation students, increasing application completion, or aligning with school leadership, these sessions offer practical frameworks and tools you can use immediately.
(All times Eastern. Recordings will be shared with all registrants.)
Wednesday, July 22
11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. — Understanding the ACT: Foundations and Tools for Student Success
12:30 p.m.–1:30 p.m. — Strengthening Counselor–Administrator Collaboration for Student Success
Thursday, July 23
1:00 p.m.–2:00 p.m. — Increasing College Application Completion with ACAC
2:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m. — Supporting First-Generation and Underserved Students
Who should attend:
Middle and high school counselors, college and career advisors, counseling directors, and counseling teams.
Register for one or all sessions:
Beginning in August, ACT’s College & Career Readiness Workshops (CCRWs) bring counselors together in person for deeper learning and collaboration.
These workshops are designed to help you apply and expand on key concepts introduced over the summer, with a focus on practical implementation.
Each event is customized, but core topics include:
Laying the Foundation: Embedding ACT College and Career Readiness Standards into curriculum and instruction
Reading the Data: Turning assessment results into instructional decisions
ACT Updates: Flexibility, insights, and a more student-centered experience
Closing the Gap: Early intervention strategies that drive measurable progress
Life Beyond the Score: Workforce readiness and postsecondary pathways
You will also have the opportunity to connect with peers and learn directly from ACT experts.
Find all webinars and an in-person workshop near you:
To keep the momentum going during the school year, ACT is also offering a nine-part CCRW webinar series from August through October.
These sessions focus on targeted solutions and feature national experts sharing strategies to help move students from readiness to action.
Topics include:
Find all webinars and an in-person workshop near you:
These opportunities are designed to work together across the calendar:
Together, they create a continuous learning experience that supports you throughout the transition into the school year.
Registration is now open for all events. You can participate in any or all of these opportunities based on your schedule and goals.
Each experience is built to support the same outcome: helping you guide more students toward college and career success with confidence and clarity.
Is there a session that you have an idea for that you are not seeing and/or are you interested in hosting an ACT event in your region? Please let us know and send us a note at counselor@act.org.