GETTING SMART
“I’m really excited to share this with other students. It’s exactly what we need to make school feel relevant — and we’re doing something that really matters.”
When we hear these quotes from high school students, we know that something is working given the typically low engagement rates of adolescents.
Key Learnings
But what was learned? Every good pilot should also be “living in beta” itself. Key learnings for the program included:
- Implementation length is critical. Longer implementation has stronger results than shorter implementation. Time to reflect, build on ideas, and converse with peers and mentors increase success.
- Students need to understand the concept of purpose. So often, education is a compliance-based approach, and young people are not asked nor do they understand purpose. Clearly helping students develop an idea of purpose increases successful implementation.
- Coaches need to know how to successfully engage with students. It is not enough to just provide the resources to the students. Adult mentorship, facilitated engagement, and conversation supports stronger outcomes.
- Professional development matters. As with any new program, directed professional development for the coaches who implement matters for long-term outcomes.
Additionally, important site-level conditions increased outcomes. These include dedicated time during the week for Living in Beta work and a commitment to a long duration implementation. Since purpose finding is unique to each individual, the final results, articulated in the Curation of Me presentations, are unknown at the start of the program. The four Living in Beta phases – Exploration, Discovery, Purpose, and Self-Actualization – are emergent. A site-level culture and climate must embrace this ambiguity with a growth mindset and bias towards action.
Adult coaches found a clear impact on their participants where purpose making reached new populations and supported tangible outcomes that make a difference.
“Living in Beta meets a need that is completely untouched by public schools, especially for our refugee communities.”
“Since we started Living in Beta, almost all of my students have gotten jobs… We talked about what version of themselves they wanted to grow into.”
“My students are eager to engage with Living in Beta… Not just my students who usually excel. All of them.”
“Growth comes with consistency; [Living in Beta] gives them the time for them to really sit in their dreams… that makes the difference.”
BY – KISHU