As the IC3 Movement enters its 10th year, the 2025 Annual IC3 Conference & Expo in Mumbai stands as a defining moment, bringing together over 1,500 educators, counselors, university representatives, and changemakers from across 95 countries of the world. Taking place on August 20–21 at the Jio World Convention Centre, this global gathering is not only a celebration of IC3’s impact but a shared space to reimagine how counseling can shape the future of education.
The conference will feature over 35 expert-led sessions, along with immersive pre-conference workshops and the Inner Child Workshop designed to help educators reflect on their own formative experiences and connect more deeply with students. A diverse lineup of speakers will bring insights from education, leadership, psychology, policy, and the arts. Among the keynote voices are mythologist and author Devdutt Pattanaik and spiritual leader Gauranga Das, Director at Govardhan Eco Village.
Key Indian education figures including Dr. Sanyam Bhardwaj (CBSE), Dr. Joseph Emmanuel (CISCE), and Dr. Indu Shahani (ATLAS SkillTech University) will also join the dialogue, sharing perspectives that bridge policy and practice. The event is expected to cover pressing themes including student mobility, subject selection, counselor training, and institutional collaboration.
As part of the conference, and continuing beyond it, two landmark research publications from the IC3 Institute will be shared:
● The third edition of the Student Suicides Report, examining the mental health landscape of school students in India and the implications for systemic support.
● The fifth edition of the Annual Student Quest Report, a global study capturing voices of students and educators to understand the evolving expectations, pressures, and support systems within schools. While the full report will likely be released after the conference, key findings will be shared during a dedicated session.
Together, these conversations and findings reflect a growing consensus that counseling must move from being reactive to becoming an integrated, everyday part of education.
From a Question to a Global Movement
The IC3 Movement began in 2016 with a simple yet profound question: What if every student had access to the guidance they deserve? Over the last nine years, that question has guided a collective effort to embed counseling into the fabric of school life. Through research, training, institutional partnerships, and a growing global community, IC3 has worked to ensure that every student, regardless of background, has access to timely, informed, and compassionate support.
IC3 believes that counseling is a necessity. Whether students are navigating academic choices, career decisions, or personal challenges, the presence of supportive adults can make all the difference. By equipping educators with counseling skills and creating ecosystems of care within schools, the Movement continues to reimagine what student success and well-being can truly look like.
Strengthening Systems that Last
Central to IC3’s approach is the belief that long-term change happens when institutions are strengthened from within. Its flagship programs—Empower, Embark, and Enrich—equip educators to integrate counseling into their daily roles. The Counseling Laboratory® offers schools a systems-led model to design student-centric structures. Through its focus on “Teacher as Counselor,” IC3 continues to encourage every educator to serve as a consistent, caring guide in students’ lives.
As of July 2025, the IC3 Institute has partnered with over 1,679 schools in 77 countries, supported 53 universities, and trained more than 2,010 educators through 22 cohorts. A volunteer faculty of 300 members has contributed to 208 published resources, 12 research reports, and a growing knowledge base reaching nearly 2,000 subscribers. Together, these efforts have directly impacted over 671,000 students, and extended IC3’s reach to over 3.3 million students worldwide.
Change through Local Dialogue
While global conferences provide scale and visibility, much of IC3’s early momentum was built through localized engagement. The IC3 Regional Forums, held extensively in 2024 and into 2025, played a key role in catalyzing community-driven conversations around counseling. Designed as decentralized platforms, these gatherings empowered educators, connected schools with universities, and helped normalize counseling as a core part of education.
As IC3 now sharpens its focus on systemic transformation and long-term sustainability, the foundational work done through these forums continues to inform the broader strategies, which ensure that the spirit of local dialogue lives on, even as formats evolve.
A Call to Collaborate
IC3 enters its 10th year at a time when emotional resilience, student well-being, and career preparedness are becoming essential dimensions of education. The challenges students face today, from academic pressure to mental health concerns, cannot be addressed by one counselor in one office. They require a whole-school response, grounded in empathy and trust.
As IC3 prepares for this milestone gathering in Mumbai, the Movement invites educators, universities, policy leaders, and parents to come together in support of a shared goal: to ensure every student, everywhere, has access to the guidance they need, and someone who believes in them.
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