51st Annual COBA Annual Black Child Conference and Scholarship Awards

Across California, educators, counselors, and community partners are deeply committed to ensuring Black students successfully transition from high school into college, career, and training pathways. Through practitioner-led dissertation research grounded in California school contexts, a central question emerged: What kinds of support help Black students persist toward ambitious postsecondary goals while sustaining confidence and well-being along the way?
This session introduces the Guided Learning & Design Framework (GLDF), a practice-informed model developed through research examining how Black students experience guidance, decision-making, and support during the postsecondary planning process. The framework integrates insights from student voice, counseling practice, learning science, and emerging forms of continuous support to better understand how young people maintain momentum through complex milestones.
GLDF highlights how students benefit when postsecondary planning combines structured guidance, opportunities for agency and reflection, and consistent encouragement across key transition moments. The framework also considers how thoughtfully designed tools — including AI-enabled supports — can extend organization, reassurance, and access to information between educator interactions, helping students remain engaged without increasing pressure or replacing human relationships.
Rather than introducing a new initiative, this session offers educators a shared framework for recognizing and strengthening practices already present within California schools and communities. Participants will explore how GLDF can help align academic preparation, emotional readiness, and future planning so that Black students are able to pursue excellence without unnecessary exhaustion.