The International School Psychology Association (ISPA) was officially founded in 1982, but can trace its roots to 1972, when a group of school psychologists from several countries formed the International School Psychology Committee.

ISPA is a Non-Governmental Organization officially affiliated to UNESCO.

Since its foundation, ISPA has successfully promoted the spread of school psychology, particularly in countries where the profession was not fully established. This process has been facilitated through the ISPA Colloquium, held each year in a different country. This gathering of professionals from around the world has an impact on the development of the profession in the host country as well as providing an important forum for professionals from around the world.

ISPA is strongly committed to improving healthy development and quality of life for children everywhere. ISPA has thus made children’s human rights a high priority in its international work during the last decade and will maintain this emphasis in the future. For this purpose, ISPA has initiated and collaborated with international endeavors that benefit children or hold a genuine promise to do so. The involvement of school psychology at the national level will significantly strengthen many of these projects.

There is growing demand for School Psychologists to broaden their spheres of influence. The valuable knowledge and experience we have accumulated in confronting the realities of modern life enables us to take a more active role in the community. We can now place these at the service of the national and local leadership of different countries, both political and educational, helping them to develop and implement programs designed to improve the quality of schools and the lives of children.

SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE

ISPA’s mission is to:

• promote the use of sound psychological principles in education

• encourage communication between professionals committed to improving children’s mental health and well-being

• further recourse to resources of school psychology initiate and promote cooperation with organizations committed to similar purposes

• work to advance the psychological rights of all children throughout the world by:

• participating in and contributing to the work of the NGO Group for the Convention of the Rights of Children

• providing information and resource support on children’s rights to ISPA National Affiliates

• cooperating in research projects that further children’s rights

• participating in the planning of international children’s rights conferences and in the coordination of the distance learning project

• taking part in cooperative projects with UNESCO and Education International

ISPA is a voluntary, non-governmental nonprofit organization. Assisted by a small and dedicated central office staff, association members contribute their time and expertise to the work of the Executive Committee, of four standing committees and many ad-hoc committees, task forces, and interest groups. Every year, ISPA members give thousands of hours toward the preparation of the annual colloquia, documents, publications, and projects aimed to further the profession worldwide.

ISPA is a leading international force in the field of School Psychology. Twenty five national professional associations are currently affiliated with ISPA.

ISPA – Support for the Profession Worldwide:

ISPA colloquia are held in a different country each year. These annual meetings form a vital part of the activities of the Association as they provide opportunities for members to come together, share ideas and experiences, meet old friends, and make new ones.

During the five day annual colloquium, participants discuss practices that help parents raise healthy, resilient children, and that help teachers meet the needs of all students, including those with challenging learning and emotional problems. The colloquia focus on different themes each year.

The colloquia also serve to advance the profession in those regions in which they are held:

In 1993, ISPA’s presence in Slovakia helped lead to the passage of legislation establishing school psychologists as specialists in that country.

The 1994 colloquium in Brazil had a significant impact on establishing the profession in that country as well as other South American countries.

The 1998 colloquium in Latvia boosted the official recognition and rapid development of the profession not only in Latvia itself but also in the neighboring countries of the Baltic region in particular.

Similar benefits have occurred in many other countries where ISPA has held their annual summer meeting.

ISPA also has developed a definition and code of ethics of the profession and other documents that are useful internationally, including a set of core requirements for the training and education of School Psychologists.

Support for Schools and Teachers:

ISPA members are resources in countless ways to teachers and to the schools where they work. Among the ways ISPA members provide this support are:

• helping teachers understand child growth and development, social/emotional needs of children and how they learn

• assessing learning and emotional problems and helping teachers develop strategies and interventions to help children be more successful in the classroom

• providing counseling to children in need of emotional support

• establishing or joining crisis response teams when schools experience trauma such as the illness or death of children, their family members or school staff, natural disasters, wars, terrorism

• teaching peer mediation, conflict resolution and social skills to children to encourage alternatives to violence

• designing programs for children at risk of school failure

• implementing prevention programs to deal with issues such as violence, drug abuse, alcoholism, sexual molestation

• consulting with school principals on ways to improve the social and emotional climate of the schools

Support for Children, Parents, and Families:

School psychologists are often the primary link between homes and school, providing front-line support to families in times of crisis. Among the projects ISPA members have participated in are:

• working with parents to manage learning and behavior problems in the home setting;
• collaborating with community agencies to meet the broader social service needs of children and families;
• offering psychological support to children in the Kosovo refugee camps and training the crisis relief staff;
• responding to shootings in Columbine High School and other US schools;
• providing relief services to the victims of the earthquake in Turkey and hurricanes and floods in South America;
• training the professional relief staff in areas affected by crisis.