Schools are currently working through the implications of the New Zealand Curriculum and its translations into practice. To date there has been little discussion of the contributions of school guidance counseling. For learning and teaching to become a collective, whole-school endeavour, Cowie at el., (2011) suggested, "cross-fertilisation of ideas and experiences" and "lateral innovation" are needed. It is timely, therefore, to investigate the particular and potential contributions of school guidance counselors to Curriculum understandings and implementation, for the benefit of both individual students and the wider school community. This project focuses on student learning in the context of counseling conversations. School guidance counselors worked alongside university researchers to investigate counseling practices for their potential to contribute to students' strengthening and using key competencies, within the particular context and curriculum of the counseling room and relationship. The project also examines how counselors participate, and might further participate, in the implementation of the New Zealand Curriculum.