INSPIRE: Intelligence Never Seeks Perfection, Instead Requires Effort.
Stories help us expand our sense of what's possible: by hearing from others like us who have overcome personal and societal obstacles in order to become activists, spoken word poets, and game designers (for example), we become more confident and hopeful in our ability to do the same. Unfortunately, many children grow up in environments with little exposure to these stories, and subsequently pursue pathways through their education and careers that could have been very different had they received this exposure early on.
INSPIRE is a program in partnership with a local middle school that seeks to expose students to stories of triumph and hope that they find personally meaningful. A key part of the program is a mobile application that delivers short video stories of professionals talking about their life journeys. Stories are sourced from our content partner Roadtrip Nation, and delivered through a virtual coach ("Jo Jo"). Jo Jo personalizes video recommendations for students and prompts them to reflect after they watch videos. The program also includes in-person community building and engagement initiatives developed in collaboration with the school to supplement and extend what the mobile application can offer on its own.
Ultimately, the goal of INSPIRE is to help students enhance their metacognitive traits and academic outcomes in ways that help them positively and productively shape their own unfolding narratives.