“GO FIND YOUR PURPOSE...”

An often quoted phrase that is told to people as they grow up. “Go find your purpose,” as if this is a singular target at the end of a yellow brick road. As if by trying hard enough or searching long enough, you will stumble onto your purpose. Social science research and lived experience of “purpose exemplars” demonstrate that finding one’s purpose is neither a linear path, nor a simple equation. In real life, seeking out a sense of purpose starts in baby steps. It starts with a desire to find a deeper sense of meaning and purpose in one’s life. But even with the right motivation, it is not always clear how to go on the path towards exploring one’s sense of purpose.

In this class, we will explore the social science of purpose development and use a curriculum called the Wayfinder Navigation Toolkit that has been designed to help students embark on a path of purpose. Developed at the Stanford Design School and now an independent curriculum, Project Wayfinder’s toolkit is a curriculum that helps facilitate students’ journeys of purpose.

The class will meet weekly for 2-hour periods. During each section, we will do a community building exercise, complete a Wayfinder curriculum piece (from the toolkit mentioned above), and discuss the week’s readings and the activity completed in the first part of class. Some classes will also have guest speakers.

The readings for class will draw from scholarly research on purpose development in adolescence, journal articles covering the topic of living a meaningful life, and the studies of traditional Wayfinding cultures that used physical navigation to find their way in the natural world. Many of our activities are guided self-reflection with a discussion portion to facilitate collaborative learning. Each activity and toolkit component is backed by psychological research, and we will relate the class sessions to such research.

A large part of the class will be experiential. Students who choose to take this class should be interested in diving deeper into their own sense of self and want to examine what kind of life they want to live. You will get out what you put in, and we emphasize the importance of bringing your best self to class.

This class is joyful and transformative. Looking forward to reading your applications!

Side note: we use the Project Wayfinder toolkit which is required for all students. It is $20 (we receive it at a heavily discounted price). If you are unable to pay, do not let this prevent you from taking the class - email a facilitator and we will get you one at not cost.

Applications are now closed. Please fill out this interest form (https://forms.gle/tgUtu5hK4DSn73cr6) if you'd like to hear about other Project Wayfinder events at Cal.