
Philadelphia, PA
Character Lab
How can we develop a sense of agency in young people?
San Francisco
PLUSSED and IDEO collaborated on the design of Purpose Project, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping all learners live a life of meaning and impact. They offer an immersive digital curriculum based on principles of design thinking, which helps students develop social-emotional skills and track their growth in a personal portfolio. Analysis of thousands of participants to date revealed a marked increase in individuals’ self-direction, self-advocacy, and sense of belonging.
Purpose should be foundational to the learning journey of all students—not just those with access to additional resources.
The purpose framework
Purpose Project learners
Digital curriculum interface
Teacher testimonals
The educational system was falling short when it came to helping learners find purpose. We decided to help change that—and make sure students had a voice in the design process from the very beginning.
Since 2017, Purpose Project has launched in more than 50 locations and reached over 5,000 learners. The organization is currently in the process of translating all of its materials into Spanish to further increase accessibility.
Purpose Project continues to develop new ways to define and measure the impact their curriculum has on students’ lives.