"American Identity Renewed: An Educational Agenda for the 21st Century ," June 2010 - The Stanford Center on Adolescence convened a meeting in New York City to discuss the crucial educational goal of promoting positive civic purpose among today's young. Speakers included ANDREW DELBANCO from Columbia University, University of Chicago's MARGARET BEALE SPENCER, the EastWest Institute's OS GUINNESS, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's WILLIAM SULLIVAN, Catholic University of America's JAMES YOUNISS, and JACQUES BENNINGA from the Bonner Center for Character Education and Citizenship.

There were three main sessions, each led by two speakers. The first session addressed American identity - what does it mean to be American and how do young people understand what it means to be American (particularly in terms of foundational values such as liberty, opportunity, individualism)? The second session examined the concept of "sacred nation" in contemporary terms - is there still a notion of respecting the dignity of all humans in American society, and devotion to the common good? The third session explored the state of E Pluribus Unum today - is the divisiveness in American society and politics inevitable, and in that light, what is the role of schools in educating young people to be American citizens? The concluding discussion was focused on how to give shape to new ways of educating young people for American citizenship. A published report of the proceedings is planned. The event was sponsored by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

   American Identity Renewed Program

"Youth Purpose: How Adolescents Develop Meaningful Direction," March 2010 - A Preconference Roundtable hosted by The Center on Adolescence in conjunction with the 2010 Society for Research on Adolescence (SRA) Biennial Meeting in Philadelphia. The Roundtable facilitated collaboration among a community of scholars dedicated to understanding how young people direct their lives. Introductory remarks were provided by William Damon, Center Director, and Jeffrey Arnett, Clark University.

Discussions were led by current and former Center on Adolescence members, Youth Purpose Research Award recipients, and other scholars in the field of Youth Purpose and Positive Youth Development. Over fifty participants engaged in stimulating conversations and poster discussions. A range of topics was discussed, including methods used to study youth purpose, the impact of social context on purpose development, the role of spirituality in purpose, and evaluation of programs that aim to foster youth purpose. Attendees included graduate students, faculty and professionals. It was truly inspiring to see the many different ways purpose is taking an important place in research on adolescent development.

    Roundtable Program

Participant responses:

• "I really enjoyed the meeting and made a number of good purpose-contacts. It was a very worthwhile experience, and I gained quite a bit by participating!"
• "...the round-table really offered "food for thought" and new ideas for research for me."
• "This was, by far, the most stimulating and productive pre-conference session I have ever attended. The format allowed for deep, meaningful dialogue among the participants, and we were able to make connections with others doing similar work that I think will lead to really exciting collaborations."

"A Conversation about Youth Entrepreneurship and Purpose," February 2008 - A public symposium presented by the Center on Adolescence, held in conjunction with its Youth Purpose Academic Advisory Panel meeting on February 7. Enthusiastic audience questions and comments reflected a strong interest in how entrepreneurship can help young people fulfill their potential and contribute to their communities.

    Symposium Program

• Richard M. Lerner, Tufts University and Advisory Panel member, provided some highlights of his research which asks how young people identify pathways to success and examines the importance of finding the best stage-context fit to maximize learning. Click here to see his PowerPoint presentation
• Joseph Mittlemann, Brown University, described the course he teaches on Entrepreneurship and Good Work that challenges students to contribute to society through work that is personally important.
• Gerald M. Richards, Bay Area Executive Director, National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), shared his experiences with at-risk high-school students who learn how academic skills can help them, their families and communities by turning their street smarts into business smarts. He introduced three young entrepreneurs who shared their personal stories.
• Andrew Kutches took a NFTE business management class while at a correctional facility, guiding him to parlay his newly acquired skills in carpentry, painting, and building into Kutches Construction Company.
• Eric Foster used the skills acquired at NFTE's BizCamp to found All High Sports, an internet hosting site allowing high school athletes to assist recruiters by conveniently posting their statistics and video highlight footage in one place. Athletes also utilize the site's extensive recruiter data bank.
• Warda Ali, winner of the 2007 Merrill Lynch/NFTE Bay Area Regional Business Plan Competition and the Smith Barney/NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, turned an enhancement that extends the life of cricket bats from a service she was providing relatives and friends into a business when she launched Sure Shot Cricket Gear.

"Positive Youth Development in our Time: The Age of Purpose," May 2006 - The Center convened its Academic Advisory Panel composed of well-regarded scholars with unique perspectives on the topic of youth purpose. Center Director William Damon and Search Institute President Peter Benson shared a dialog on Youth Purpose which was enriched by perspectives from Advisory Panel members. The event culminated in a public symposium featuring three young people who shared their stories, hopes and expectations for the future.

Conference to explore the concept of purpose from a variety of academic viewpoints, March 2003 - The Center brought together leading scholars from several disciplines including Applied Developmental Science, Cultural Anthropology, Education, Human Development and Social Policy, and Psychology. Each scholar contributed his or her perspective on youth purpose, such as

• the interface of personality psychology and religion
• using what is known about generative adults as a way to approach purpose in adolescents
• historical social movements as sources of purpose for youth during the 1960's
• how academic achievement motivation and psychological adjustment are related in the school context
• resiliency, identity, and competence formation processes, particularly among youth of color and from low-resource families

A key outcome was the definition of purpose as "a stable and generalized intention to accomplish something that is at once meaningful to the self and of consequence to the world beyond the self." For further information, see: the conference summary, list of presentors and participants, consensus paper, and the meeting agenda.

"The Adolescent Search for Purpose: The Roles of Moral, Civic, and Spiritual Development," April 2002 - The Center organized a pre-conference at the ninth biennial meeting of the Society for Research on Adolescence. The session featured two panels that presented pioneering research and set the stage for group discussion about the roles of moral identity, civic engagement, cultural identity, and spirituality as sources of meaning and purpose.

"Fostering Youth's Civic Engagement and Participation in Free and Democratic Societies," June 2000 - A conference co-sponsored by the Center, the Brown University Center for the Study of Human Development, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Over three days, six panels discussed political socialization and engagement, transition to citizenship, the role of schools, and the impact of service-learning. Faculty, doctoral students, and researchers attended from the United States, England, Israel, Northern Ireland, South Africa, and Russia. For further information, see the conference schedule, participants, and paper.

International Conference on Youth Citizenship, June 1999 - Hosted by the Center on Adolescence, this conference focused on the developmental needs of young people growing up in contemporary democratic societies. Distinguished scholars from several disciplines and parts of the world produced a "state-of-the-science" report on what skills, attitudes, and beliefs young people need to learn in order to become productive and socially responsible members of their societies. For further information, see: the conference description, participants, convening paper, consensus document, panel presentations, opening remarks, and Stanford Report article.