JANESVILLE — An international school staff development forum will take place on U.S. soil for the first time ever on March 31. The location: Craig High School in Janesville.
The forum is a part of International College and Career Counseling (IC3), an organization that provides educational lectures to high school staff throughout the world to better counsel students on going to a college or university after graduation. The March 31 event, a “regional forum,†is mostly geared directly toward high school staff, with university educators also welcome.
IC3 was founded in India and has spread worldwide. According to its website, the organization was born out of research conducted in 2017 that showed a “resounding majority†of corporations and universities internationally reported that career decisions can be impacted as early as eighth or ninth-grade.
Past regional forums have taken place mostly in India. As of Tuesday, there had been three forums in India already this year. There was also one in the United Arab Emirates last week. Others are scheduled for Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Costa Rica, Uganda, Myanmar and Kenya.
Mary Christianson, the Janesville School DistrictÃÛèÖÊÓƵ international education program coordinator, attended an IC3 conference in India last year, which is a larger-scale event with more countries represented, held annually in August. She and Craig High School Dean of Students Zachary Gavin pitched bringing a regional forum to Janesville after attending breakout sessions at that annual conference.
“When were there … we learned that we’re all dealing with the same issues. How do we best support these kids… to help them become productive members of society? ThatÃÛèÖÊÓƵ not just localized. They could go anywhere,†Christianson said.
Christianson said she was impressed with how IC3 was “really open-minded to not fit (students) in a box and not say one size fits all, but sharing tips and best practices in helping students find what they want to do in their lives.â€
Christianson said any type of educator would benefit from attending an IC3 regional forum, not just counselors. She will co-present a session on how to coach students who want to pursue post-secondary education internationally and how to coach international students toward a college or university in the U.S.
“If there are international students in the school thatÃÛèÖÊÓƵ great, but it is beneficial for all students even if there aren’t international students,†Christianson said.
Area school districts may send staff to the March 31 IC3 forum for professional development. There is no cost for high school principals, counselors, and teachers to register. University representatives may attend for $350 per person. To register, go to .
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