The Purpose Academy - For the Next Generation Global Leaders

This program prepares the next generation of global youth leaders to solve the world’s most
urgent problems.

Five of our TISB students are currently taking part in a program called ‘The Purpose Academy’. The program is run by 1M1B (1 Million for 1 Billion) for selected schools in partnership with SCET, College of Engineering, UC Berkeley. 1M1B has a history and relationship with TISB, with several of the school’s students being part of the ‘Future Leaders’ program – one of the most enterprising youth engagements in Asia, that has trained and coached over 300 students and sent more than 90 of these to the United Nations Head Quarters in New York.

The newly launched program, The Purpose Academy, is a system thinking driven program to solve real challenges, deliver sustainable solutions utilising data and technology. The program aims at encouraging and helping young people to explore and discover their purpose by addressing real life issues and problems, while at the same time focusing and strengthening their capacities to create lasting impact. Motivated students who are selected are given coaching sessions to build their leadership skills along with other skills, such as collaboration emotional intelligence, complex problem solving, cognitive flexibility, to give them valuable competences for the future ahead.

The program is driven by ‘system thinking’ meaning students are provided with a set of tools and mindsets to help them engage with complex problems. Complex problems are unordered, and, unlike simple and complicated problems, they do not have any apparent root cause. Rather than reducing a problem to a single primary cause, a systems thinking approach gives the whole picture and breaks down the patterns, structures and mental models that create unwanted effects.

At the orientation session of the program in December, 42 students from TISB attended. Out of all candidats, 16 students were selected after going through an interview process. The Purpose Academy began on the 2 January 2021 and has had a busy start. Students are mentored by UC Berkeley faculty members and are rewarded with high impact opportunities. During the first two days of the program students became acquainted with some of the faculty members while exploring challenges to connect with their purposes, took part in a session on how to understand and connect with stakeholders, and learned the fundamentals about system thinking. In the time ahead, participating students will design, test and optimise their solutions, and present them to organisations, including UC Berkeley and NGOs, to prepare students for fundraising and attempt to get their projects out into the world.

The Purpose Academy is open for ages 13-17 and takes place twice a year; in the winter months and during the summer holidays. The Purpose Academy team hope many students will join the summer batch, which they hope to commence in June 2021. For more information about The Purpose Academy, watch their introduction video on YouTube. For more information about 1M1B and their initiatives, visit their website. If you are interested in participating as part of the summer batch, keep following TISB on our website and in social media channels for upcoming information.