Creating immediate impact in high-needs schools and communities
According to a 2019 study published by the American Civil Liberties Union, a nationwide shortage of school counselors existed in the U.S.; many of these shortages existed in rural areas, with fewer than 10% of the mental health workforce practicing in these areas. In 2018, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services data showed that of the state’s 100 counties, 84 had a mental health professional shortage. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported in 2019 that 21% of children aged 6-17 years who were living in poverty had a mental health disorder; children living in rural areas were less likely than those in urban areas to receive mental health services, and children of color were less likely to receive mental health services than White children. School counselors can help to fill this need for mental health care among North Carolina’s rural children.
Critical inroads to rural communities
UNC School of Education graduates serve in schools across North Carolina, but the majority work in more urban districts compared to rural ones. As of fall 2023, nearly 350 alumni work in Chapel Hill-Carrboro and Orange County schools. More than 700 in Wake County's schools. Only 12 work in Person County, 15 in Granville County. And before the first cohort of Helping Heels, no school counselors-in-training interned in either of these counties.
Yet, Person and Granville Counties are within drivable distances for Carolina school counselors-in-training to create great impact in the lives of students and communities.
Who is eligible to join Helping Heels and what does the program provide?
Incoming students to the UNC School of Education's School Counseling program may apply to join the Helping Heels program.
If selected for Helping Heels, a UNC School of Education student will:
Enroll in coursework to become a school counselor
Serve as a school counselor-in-training in a Title 1 school in Person or Granville Counties
Receive funding that covers tuition, fees, and travel expenses
Fast Facts
717 Alumni
12 Alumni
349 Alumni
15 Alumni
As a product of a rural community, I know the kind of impact this funding can have in helping us to address a critical need in rural schools. School counselors have the capacity to address the mental well-being of students. This grant funding allows us to bring the school counseling profession to the forefront in the conversation on addressing the behavioral health needs of K-12 students.Dana Griffin
Principal Investigator, Helping Heels
Become a school counselor
Are you an aspiring school counselor? The UNC School of Education offers a top preparation program for school counselors. If you want to serve students in rural communities and are accepted into the School Counseling program, you may be eligible to join Helping Heels.