The mission of the Urban Counselors Association of Massachusetts (UCAM) is to enhance the lives of urban students. As a statewide affiliate, we aim to unite urban counselors from across the state through meaningful professional development activities and internet-based resources.

Our objectives are:

• To unite professionals engaged or interested in some phase of school counseling or admission work specific to urban areas of Massachusetts
• To serve as a vehicle to bring its members current information regarding school counseling or admission services specific to urban areas of Massachusetts
• To initiate change through public relations and advocacy efforts with legislative and community groups in support of school counseling or admission services in urban areas of Massachusetts
• To provide professional development opportunities specific to the needs of urban students
• To provide a support network for members
• To act as a clearinghouse for members who are seeking to network for new positions.

Any person working in a professional setting engaged or interested in school counseling or admission work is eligible to become a member of the association and is entitled to the benefits of membership upon submission of a membership application. Joining UCAM is currently FREE, and you can join right now.

As a new MASCA affiliate, we welcome suggestions for professional development and resources we may share with our members. We plan to use technology, such as email and video-conferencing, to share with counselors across the state.

Issues we hope to address include: undocumented students and ELL/ESL students, the amount of students' time spent in MCAS/MEPA testing, student mobility, the effects of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) on the urban population, TOEFL, and the search for "value added," or longitudinal testing, to show progress made rather than the MCAS picture of a school which tests students who may not have been in that school at the beginning of the year.