The Power of Purpose
Recent psychological research has revealed a crisis of meaning is growing in younger generations. Dr. Bill Damon, Director of Stanford’s Center on Adolescence, has said that “The biggest problem growing up today is not actually stress; it’s meaninglessness.”
Having purpose is fundamental to cultivating a meaningful life because it connects you to things that matter deeply to you and give your life direction.
Purpose amongst teens has been shown to facilitate identity formation, increase positive attitudes towards diversity, attenuate antisocial behavior and bullying, decrease engagement in risky behaviors, and increase academic engagement. Furthermore, interventions to promote purposeful behavior have been found to lead to significant increases in grade point averages.
Finding purpose or ones way in life however is by no means simple. Every day we are confronted with messages about how we should live, what we should value, and what we should do. We are often tied by all kinds of cultural expectations and social norms, many of which we’re not even aware of.
The Wayfinder Journey (which you can read more about here) has been developed specifically to help give youth the space and tools to explore their inner world, and to develop strategies and practices to live with purpose each and every day. It starts by diving into what’s most important to them. and asking themselves simple yet profound questions such as: “What kind of life do I want to lead?”
Project Wayfinder
Project Wayfinder is a culturally responsive, mental health + SEL programme for teens and young adults. The mental resilience toolkit, developed out of K12 Innovation Lab at the Stanford University d.school) explores themes such as self-awareness, world awareness, and purposeful mindsets and action. Underpinning each activity are “big life questions” such as: what’s my story, what do I value, what are my unique strengths, what holds me back from new paths, how do I fit into the world, how can I make a meaningful difference? As students progress through the toolkit they begin to develop a purpose compass that distills their values, strengths, and concerns (how they want to contribute in the world) into a discernible orientation in life.
At Greenlight Foundation we do not believe life is about finding your one purpose. Rather we aspire to equip youth with the skills, knowledge and confidence to live with purpose each and every day - acting in alignment with their core values, building upon their personal strengths and contributing to something in their communities or the world that’s beyond themselves. This is why the metaphor of Wayfinding - where one learns to be adaptable to life’s inevitable shifts and challenges - is so powerful.
Over the course of the programme, youth are given skills, tools and practices that empower them to meaningfully contribute to our world. Drawing upon purpose development research, brain science, trauma informed mindfulness practices, social and emotional learning, interviews with "purpose exemplars," and practices from native wayfinding traditions, the meaning-making journey unleashes purpose in students, strengthens their resilience and their sense of well-being.
We have two trained Facilitators for Project Wayfinder in Aotearoa who attended the Educator Training at Stanford in July, 2018.
We are inspired to be able to bring this powerful programme to Aotearoa and are experienced in implementing it in a culturally relevant way. We offer a number of different implementation options to suit different situations:
Project Wayfinder Youth Leadership 4 day Retreats.
Project Wayfinder 2 day workshops
Project Wayfinder workshop sessions (either elective or within a class year group) within your school - half day/ full day workshops
Project Wayfinder within special programmes e.g. project focus weeks, Leadership days, post exam day retreats
Learn more about Project Wayfinder internationally here or connect with us on the ‘inquire’ link above to request a visit / phone conversation about how we can bring it to your students/ school/ teens.
Hear from our past participants…
“This experience for me is very difficult to explain. It was so life changing, supporting and deep that I don’t have enough words to explain how great of an experience I had. I would encourage all of my friends to go on retreats like this so that we can all understand the importance of having a stable and balanced wellbeing. Going on retreats like this gives us a moment to step back and reflect on life and slow down time for a bit. It definitely helped me understand the important aspects of my life and my purpose in life..”
“I will use this programme in my life to help others and to make myself strong both mentally and emotionally. It’s like a life guide. I can also use these tools to help others struggling with mental issues, bullying etc”
Watch Project Wayfinder Educators and Students reflect on the Purpose Learning curriculum that supports young people in creating meaningful, fulfilling lives.
YOUR PROJECT WAYFINDER FACILITATORS
Trish du Temple is a trained Project Wayfinder Facilitator, certified Yoga + Mindfulness Instructor (RYT®500 Adult, Children's & Teens Yoga Therapy), Yoga for Mental Health, Yoga + Mindfulness 4 Trauma Recovery, MBSR for Teens, Yoga Calm, Meditation Teacher (Chopra Centre) & Wellbeing Coach. Read more about Trish..
Lisa Swinburn, is a trained Project Wayfinder Facilitator, PG Dip Teaching, BA (Hons), certified NLP Instructor, and an inspiring Life Coach. Read more. about Lisa.
Let’s connect:
Please contact us to discuss how we can help bring Project Wayfinder to your school or community in Aotearoa to help your students step into lives of meaning and purpose
“Great opportunity to openly discuss my ‘why’, my motivation in life and to dive deeper, to discover more purpose in my life, and remind me to nurture the love within and beyond”