What does a school counselor actually do all day — and why does it matter more now than ever? Hanna Mick is an elementary school counselor in Topeka and a part-time consultant with the Kansas State Department of Education, and she's proof that the role goes far beyond what you see on TV. From launching a peer conflict-resolution program at recess to using AI for career exploration with kids as young as third grade, Hannah is redefining what it means to support students. She's also the Kansas School Counselor of the Year and a finalist for the national title — not that she got into education for the awards. This conversation will make you wish you'd had a counselor like her growing up.

Highlights

The difference between a "guidance counselor" and a school counselor — and why it matters
Hanna's unexpected path from advertising to education (a soul-searching pivot she's never regretted)
The Junior Coaches program: how sixth graders helping second graders at recess reduced office discipline referrals by 71–77% for some students
Why by third grade, kids have already begun limiting their career ambitions based on race, gender, and socioeconomic status — and what counselors can do about it
Using a school-approved AI tool to help students discover careers they never knew existed (e-sports manager, anyone?)
Road Trip Nation: a free AI-informed platform that helps students cut through the "noise" and find their path
The "two I's" framework for thinking about AI in schools: intention and impact
Why teaching kids what cheating actually is in the age of AI is harder than it sounds
Piper the therapy dog, the Paws and Claws project-based learning group, and a Humane Society partnership built by third graders
Dartography debuts! Gus introduces a new segment using a dart and a cork-board Kansas map

Chapters

0:00 – Stadium Renderings

2:06 – Podcast Intro: Education Month

2:42 – Meet Hanna Mick

4:09 – Kansas Roots and K-State

4:49 – From Advertising to Counseling

8:16 – What School Counselors Do

11:04 – Junior Coaches Recess Program

15:53 – Counselor of the Year Mindset

18:13 – AI in Schools: Basics

21:25 – Teaching AI Literacy and Cheating

28:08 – Therapy Dogs: Piper and Pickles

29:35 – Paws and Claws Project Learning

30:45 – Frontloading Expectations

31:20 – Piper Costume Project

32:00 – Humane Society Partnership

33:35 – Career Bias by Third Grade

36:15 – AI Career Discovery

40:41 – Road Trip Nation Tool

41:58 – Counselor of the Year (National)

46:08 – Post-Interview Reflections

46:58 – Dartography Segment Begins

50:05 – Cimarron County Seat Gunfight

51:33 – Sewell's Folly Canal

53:02 – Ingalls Name Connections & Laura Ingalls Wilder

55:57 – Dart Throw Results

57:53 – Episode Wrap-Up

Resources

Learn more about the podcast at askakansan.com!

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net