Pursuing Purpose: A Playbook for Meaningful Student Engagement

Playbook

This playbook is a companion to the Commission for Purposeful Pathways report.

Too many young people leave high school without a clear, supported path for their future. This report introduces a framework and a call to action for the field to implement purposeful pathways.

Access the full report

As schools and systems double down on workforce development and career-connected learning, one critical question is often overlooked: Whose voices are shaping pathways? Every student should graduate from high school feeling empowered to pursue their passions, make an impact and access further education that leads to a family-sustaining income. Yet even as pathways expand, too many students remain on the outside looking in, experiencing programs that are designed for them, rather than with them.

This playbook builds on the vision of the Commission on Purposeful Pathways, but focuses on a different question, posed to a different audience: How can the adults closest to young people ensure that purposeful pathways are shaped with students, not just delivered to them?

The Commission highlights several experiences as especially powerful in leading students to and helping them continue on strong pathways. In this playbook, those same experiences serve as the foundation for reflection, co-design and action with young people.

Where this playbook came from

This content was co-designed and co-authored by high school students and young adults up to age 24 with support from experts on student voice and engagement at Big Picture Learning. The Youth Advisory group members that informed this work share a belief that all students should have the opportunities and support to reach their full potential.

Representing all parts of the country, the Youth Advisory developed recommendations for youth-serving adults on how to collaborate and co-design with youth at the center to ensure that young people are supported in finding their own purposeful pathways. View the full list of contributors on page 48 of the playbook.

Who this playbook is for

This playbook is intended to be used by those who support young people in their day-to-day lives— educators, school leaders, counselors, families, and more. Each of these supportive groups brings a different perspective and responsibility to the work. Whether adults are shaping classroom experiences, designing school structures, advising students on next steps or nurturing them at home, this guide offers ways to more intentionally involve young people in decisions that affect their pathways.

What this guide includes

Student stories
Activation tips and strategies
Resources and frameworks to support this work
Adult champion reflection prompts
Example student engagement models

Learn more about purposeful pathways

All high school students should have access to purposeful pathways, regardless of where they’re getting started or where they want to go. Explore the Commission’s full report and accompanying action guides to learn more:

A Launchpad for Life: A Vision for Purposeful Pathways for All Students introduces the framework and the Commission’s recommendations to implement purposeful pathways at scale.
High-Impact Practices That Support Purposeful Pathways highlights examples that illustrate how communities can integrate advising, accelerated coursework and career-connected learning — grounded in purpose, belonging and social capital.
Scaling and Sustaining Purposeful Pathways Through Enabling Conditions outlines the policies, systems and structures that regions and states can strengthen to sustain and scale purposeful pathways.
Measuring Purposeful Pathways: Measurement Action Guide provides a student-centered measurement framework and practical guidance for teams to align on shared metrics and use data for continuous improvement.

About the Commission on Purposeful Pathways

The Commission on Purposeful Pathways brought together youth representatives and cross-sector leaders from K-12, higher education, workforce systems and intermediary organizations to develop a shared vision and blueprint for purposeful pathways that lead to economic mobility and thriving. The Commission was led by Education First with support from the Gates Foundation.

Learn more about the Commission and its members on the Education First website.

Learn more about Big Picture Learning and the Youth Advisory group that authored this playbook on the Big Picture Learning website.

The Role of the Pathways Impact Fund

The Pathways Impact Fund builds on the Commission’s vision by mobilizing investment in regional intermediary organizations that help cross-sector partners work together to design and scale purposeful pathways. The Fund also supports the enabling conditions — governance, funding, policy, data and shared learning — needed to sustain this work.

Learn more about the Pathways Impact Fund.

This resource was published by the Commission on Purposeful Pathways and is housed by the Pathways Impact Fund. The Fund builds on the Commission’s vision by mobilizing investment in regional intermediary organizations that help cross-sector partners work together to design and scale purposeful pathways.

Pathways Impact Fund