Purpose Exploration & Community Problem Solving Student Bootcamp
Learn how to explore, articulate,
and pursue your purpose in life.
What to Expect in nXu’s Purpose & Community Problem Solving Bootcamp
Get To Know Yourself
Develop a deeper understanding of who you are, what you love, and who you want to become.
Find Your People
Join a community of like-minded peers who will support you as you navigate your purpose journey.
Expand Your Perspective
Identify an issue in your community and propose a solution while gaining skills, tools, and mindsets necessary to explore, articulate, and pursue your purpose and to succeed in college and beyond.
“If I didn’t define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people’s fantasies for me and eaten alive.”
Why Should I Explore My Purpose?
A strong sense of purpose will help you:
Perform better in high school, college, and beyond
Successfully navigate your transition from high school (e.g. to college, to the workplace, etc.)
Surround yourself with friends that will support you on your life journey
Make choices that maximize your success and happiness in the short and long term
Experience higher levels of physical, mental, and emotional well-being
Achieve greater life satisfaction
What are students saying about nXu?
I like that I found other youths like me who have such awesome aspirations. I feel motivated knowing that I'm not just the only youth thinking about how to truly help the world and not just have a job. - Emmanuel, New Jersey
I really think that it made my goals in life a lot more meaningful and more achievable to myself. I also love that in addition to ending with finding my purpose, I've also ended with so many friends! - Zoe, NYC
I liked how this session really made us think about what drives us as people and what really keeps us going. I enjoyed that everyone was able to share their thoughts and opinions without being judged, but instead being encouraged. - Azaria, Georgia
“As a proud brown woman who values education and is curious about spreading awareness about current world issues, my purpose in life is to use my skill of communication, combined with my love for writing to bring to light important issues in our society that are underrepresented or ignored completely.”
EDUCATORS & PARENTS: DID YOU READ THIS WITH A STUDENT IN MIND?
Why Purpose Matters
Think about writing an essay without a thesis statement. Where would you even begin? You may be making progress, but it’s almost impossible to understand how it all ties together or what drives it forward. Moving through life without knowing your purpose is the same — developing our purpose provides a through line that lets us see the forest through the trees.
We know purpose matters, but only 25% of high school students have a clear sense of their purpose and fewer know how to tap into their strengths. Students with a greater understanding of their gifts and aspirations have a stronger drive to explore career choices and professional identities (Anthis, 2014; Beyers & Luyckx, 2016). They also have more opportunities to develop the range of skills to pursue meaningful work (Gallup, 2019; Malin, 2015). Living in alignment makes us better equipped to handle stress and anxiety, improves our mental and physical health, and strengthens our resilience to challenges.
Here’s how our amazing alumni articulated their purpose to propel their next steps:
As a young, black first generation American man from a Jamaican family who values uniqueness and knowledge and is curious about communicating and reflecting to inspire others, my purpose in life is to use my leadership, adaptability, thinking and storytelling, combined with my love for exploring and creating to take down the biases in the world and implement unity within minorities and people of color to achieve justice. - Donniae, NYC
As a religious African American woman my purpose in life is to use my optimism, empathy, and public speaking combined with my love of caring for others and competition to find ways to diminish racism and police brutality in my community. - Calin, Chicago