Empowering a purpose-driven life through renewed confidence, a growth mindset and belief in their potential.
Study after study has shown that purpose improves our lives on many levels. Academic engagement and grit goes up. Depression and anxiety go down.
When youth figure out what their unique contribution to the world is, this grounds them emotionally. As a result, their confidence goes way up.
This program encourages students to dream. It encourages them to believe in themselves and what the future has in store.
Some children wake up every day thinking, “The world is out to get me.”
Talk to us about the free program to confirm that we’re a good fit.
Share program details with mentors and staff to get them excited.
Mentors and youth go through the online program together and lives are literally changed - forever.
All participants take pre- and post-program assessments that measure emotional baselines, such as anger, anxiety, depression, grit, life satisfaction and more.
As the program progresses, mentors will see how the attitude and thinking of their youth changes. Plus your organization will receive a report showing results across all students perfect for sharing with your board and donors.
All program content is rigorously researched and evidence-based. Content is fueled by the best and brightest minds in positive psychology and neuroplasticty from Harvard, NYU, Penn, Stanford, UCLA and more.
At Discovering My Purpose, we know that you share our mission to help at-promise youth.
We want to help them connect with their strengths and what they love to do so that they can meaningfully contribute to the world. Knowing who they are and how they can show up in the world - this self-knowledge grounds them emotionally, helping them live happier, more meaningful lives.
Access to a cutting-edge content based on proven positive psychology concepts from the best thought leaders in the field, including:
Why do we start with the bonus module? For at-promise youth, this info helps create fertile ground for change by kicking any victim mentality they might have to the curb. How? First we give them a brain-based explanation on how people make decisions - using teen-friendly terms to explain the roles of our limbic center (part of the brain where emotions and survival instinct lives) and pre-frontal cortex (where values and goals live). This helps them understand why they might have made poor decisions in the past. Then we give them simple steps to make better choices in the future. Students end the module feeling empowered to take their lives in a new direction!
Aristotle said, "Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom." With this module we continue to build students' belief in themselves and how they can contribute to the world. Students take a scientifically validated survey to uncover their top strengths. They are then coached in how to lean into their strengths and rev up their growth mindset. The module is enriched with a variety of exercises and activities. A quick example of a student favorite - take a limiting self-belief and add one powerful word to the end of the sentence - YET. For example, "I can't understand algebra YET." "I am not good enough to get on the team YET." A simple and easy way to shift from fixed to growth mindset.
Our students need to have a steady foundation and a deep well-spring of strength. This module is powerful! Module two covers a lot of ground, from mindfulness practices to self-esteem boosters to ways purpose helps increase resilience. With our focus of "Get Stronger", we talk about how students can learn from hard times, how to embrace failure and how to increase their willingness to try new things.
Now it is time to shift gears. In Module 3 we use a powerful approach called Appreciative Inquiry. Students think about moments in their past when they felt good or happy. They are guided to learn more about these moments - even if they were small - so that they can bring more of this positivity into their lives. From here, we encourage them to dream big, seeing their Fantastic Future and all that it holds. All children deserve to dream. We explain that as little as 30 minutes a week spent on something meaningful boosts happiness. This means purposeful lives are within everyone's reach.
In the final module, we change gears again. This is the time to make things happen! Module 4 helps students choose goals aligned with their values and strengths. Students work on a step-by-step action plan that takes their bigger goals and then breaks them into smaller and smaller steps. This approach is powerful, because it makes change feel doable. Mentors work with their youth to outline their Authentic Action plan. The end of the module talks about best practices around change management. The best thing? Accountability buddies are the most powerful way to achieve goals. With their youth's buy-in, mentors can naturally serve in this role. Long after the program is over, mentors and youth can use these life skills to move towards their goals, purpose and dreams.
the donations of individuals such as you.