In a country where education is often seen as the primary pathway to success, students grapple with intense academic pressure and career expectations, and societal demands.

Findings from the IC3 Institute’s 2024 Annual Student Quest Report highlighted that 83 per cent of counsellors and 81 per cent of students emphasised the significance of aligning personal values such as passion, purpose, and aptitude with career choices

In a world that demands adaptability and resilience, the role of career counselling in shaping the next generation of global leaders cannot be overstated.

Reflecting on the role of empathy in education reveals how counseling can nurture children’s emotional intelligence and adaptability, fostering a more balanced and joyful learning experience.

As the IC3 Movement enters its 10th year, we pause to reflect on how far we have come and look ahead with excitement at what lies before us. Over the past decade, the IC3 Movement was built by the global community of counselors, educators, universities, and partners who believe that counseling belongs in every school. This vision is not just an aspiration anymore; it is a reality that continues to grow stronger with each year. In this landmark year, IC3 Regional Conferences are being introduced as they stand as a symbol of how the Movement is deepening its impact. They embody IC3’s mission of making high-quality counseling accessible, inclusive, and sustainable across diverse regions of the world.

Have you ever noticed how when schools, communities, NGOs, and government institutions team up, public school counseling begins to shift from aspiration into action? For the IC3 Movement, highlighting these collaborations shows how education policy, public school counseling, and government and education reform can work together with inspiring results.

The 2025 Annual IC3 Conference and Expo in Mumbai was far more than a gathering of educators. It was a vivid demonstration of what a global, volunteer-driven community can achieve when united by a singular purpose: to make career and college counseling an integral part of every student’s education.

It is a beautiful thing when educators, institutions, and communities pause to ask: Are we doing enough to guide our students toward purposeful lives? That question is at the heart of the IC3 Movement. And this year, through the 2025 IC3 Regional Forums, it was answered with resounding clarity in classrooms and campuses across 14 countries. With immense gratitude, we reflect on this incredible journey that brought together over 2,600 participants across 32 cities across the world. More than 642,000 students were directly impacted through forums held at host schools that generously opened their doors, minds, and hearts to the mission of IC3: counseling in every school, purpose to every child.