Skills Guide
Teaching: Purpose & Agency
Purpose & Agency
Why This Skill Matters
Purpose and agency are central to resilience because they help students believe their actions matter. When students lack a sense of purpose, they may disengage or resist effort. Teaching purpose and agency helps students see themselves as capable of shaping their future through choices, effort, and persistence.
Student Challenges This Skill Helps Address
- Apathy and disengagement
- Hopelessness about the future
- Avoidance of responsibility
How WhyTry Builds This Skill
WhyTry builds purpose and agency through Future Ready Vision & Self-Efficacy, where students explore who they want to become and how present actions support that vision. Motivation & Resilient Mindset reinforces agency by helping students stay engaged during challenges. Facilitators help students see resilience as the ability to influence their own path.
Future Ready Vision & Self-Efficacy
(“The Wall”)
In Future Ready Vision & Self-Efficacy, purpose and agency are built by helping students see themselves as capable of influencing their future. Facilitators guide students to reflect on goals, values, and personal direction. Processing emphasizes that resilience grows when students believe their actions matter.
Motivation & Resilient Mindset
(“Motivation Formula”)
Motivation & Resilient Mindset reinforces agency by helping students sustain effort during challenge. Facilitators emphasize that setbacks do not remove choice or control. This processing supports students in maintaining engagement and ownership.