Purpose unlocks the full potential of young people and their communities.
Together, we can build systems that create opportunities for every young person to cultivate their sense of purpose.
What We Do
We uncover real questions, support novel collaborations, and explore new applications of purpose science, to ensure every young person has the support to cultivate their sense of purpose.
Activate the
Purpose Ecosystem
We work alongside young people, researchers, and youth-serving organizations to put purpose science into practice. Through collaborative structures like Design Teams and community-driven co-design, we create spaces where the ecosystem learns together — surfacing new questions, testing ideas, and applying insights that help systems and communities nurture purpose in young people.
Advance
Purpose Research
In close partnership with the Purpose Science and innovation Exchange (PSIX) at Cornell University, we bring research into the world and the world into the research — creating a cycle where science improves practice and practice strengthens research.
Amplify the
Power of Purpose
We amplify diverse voices from across the ecosystem through genuine storytelling and collaboration. Our stories shift the way purpose is understood, accessed, and cultivated. Here, we are shifting the narrative around purpose toward ongoing opportunity and possibility that brings purpose science out of academia and into the heart of communities, inspiring positive change.
Purpose in Action
When we speak with young people and their support networks, it’s clear our systems are not optimized for purpose exploration or pursuit.
Connecting the brilliance of researchers, the wisdom of those who serve young people, and the lived experiences of young people themselves uncovers opportunities to create the conditions that enable purpose cultivation.
Listen to this episode of This Teenage Life to hear the story of four young people who explored their purpose through The Contribution Project, a shared project of the Purpose Commons and PSiX at Cornell.
O., a high school senior, said this after doing a Contribution Project:
“As a teenager, there’s so much I’m learning about myself every day. It feels overwhelming. But when I understand why I’m doing something, and why I’m doing what I love to do, it makes it so much more worthwhile.”
A leader from a Contribution Project partner organization:
“The Contribution Project helped our young people develop a more sophisticated perspective on purpose and the role they play in making those things happen. It also created a space for them to explore different interests that they otherwise would not have had the opportunity to.”
Join the Conversation
True to our name, Purpose Commons is a space where a community shares resources to benefit all its members.
We‘re bringing purpose science out of the academic journals and into everyday spaces where young people live, learn, and grow.
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