Finding Purpose Across the Lifespan

An Interactive and Intergenerational Virtual Event

Venue: ONLINE VIA ZOOM
Date: November 3, 2023
Time: 9:00am - 12:30pm Pacific Time
Price: $139-$159 (limited early bird pricing)

THIS EVENT IS SOLD OUT AND REGISTRATION HAS NOW CLOSED.

We encourage you to register for our related online course, "Finding Purpose Across Your Life," which will launch in January 2024.

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Do you want to awaken or rediscover your sense of purpose in life? Are you facing a major life change or transition and looking for a North Star to guide you through? Or are you looking to help other people find more meaning and purpose in their lives?

This interactive, virtual event will offer research-based techniques to hone your sense of purpose, no matter what stage of life you’re in, from the formative years of adolescence through midlife and older adulthood. It will also speak to educators, coaches, parents, mental health professionals, or anyone else trying to guide someone on their path to purpose. The half-day program will feature a series of hands-on, practical activities that participants will be able to try together, in real time, bringing the research to life.

The program will feature a pre-recorded keynote by Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, founder of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and UN Messenger of Peace, and a world-renowned ethologist and activist inspiring greater understanding and action on behalf of the natural world. She will discuss the importance of maintaining and reinvigorating a sense of purpose across one’s life. It will be hosted by Scott Shigeoka, the GGSC’s Bridging Differences Fellow and the author of the forthcoming book SEEK: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life and Change the World.

Photo by Michael Collopy

The event will also include presentations by leading researchers and educators who have studied the many benefits of having a sense of purpose and taught strategies for identifying one’s purpose. Building on that research, we’ll also hear from program leaders who have developed innovative ways to connect people with their sense of purpose, along with inspiring stories of individuals who have found a calling that is both personally meaningful and measurably impactful for others. Our online format will provide ample opportunities to interact with speakers and meet fellow Finding Purpose participants. It will offer virtual breakout sessions among our attendees.

Our goal is to help inspire and guide attendees to consider how they can find or reignite their own sense of purpose, no matter their stage of life.

Everyone who registers for this event will also receive FREE registration in the certificate track of a companion online mini-course, “Purpose Across Your Lifespan,” which would otherwise cost $149 per person.

This event is part of the Greater Good Science Center's Finding Purpose Across the Lifespan initiative, which raises awareness about the importance of sharpening a sense of purpose at various stages of life, from childhood to young adulthood to elderhood.

The event and initiative as a whole are co-produced in partnership with CoGenerate, which bridges generation divides to create a world where older and younger people join forces to solve our nation’s most pressing problem and co-create the future.

This event is supported by a grant from the John Templeton Foundation.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations must be submitted via email to greater@berkeley.edu by October 27th to receive a full refund less a $25 administrative fee. Cancellations received after this date are subject to the full program fee.

Please click the "Register" button above for registration details. Ticket sales will close on October 31st at 5pm Pacific Time.

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE

Dr. Jane Goodall, DBE, Founder of the Jane Goodall Institute (JGI) and UN Messenger of Peace, is a world-renowned ethologist and activist inspiring greater understanding and action on behalf of the natural world.

Dr. Goodall is known for groundbreaking studies of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania, which forever changed our understanding of our relationship to the rest of the animal kingdom. This transformative research continues today as the longest running wild chimpanzee study in the world. Jane’s work builds on scientific innovations, growing a lifetime of advocacy including trailblazing efforts through her international organization the Jane Goodall Institute which advances community-led conservation, animal welfare, science, and youth empowerment through JGI’s Roots & Shoots program.

Today, Jane continues to connect with worldwide audiences, despite the challenges of the pandemic, through ‘Virtual Jane’ including remote lectures, recordings, and her podcast, the “Jane Goodall Hopecast.” In 2021, Jane was the recipient of the Templeton Prize, and her newest book, “The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times,” was published.

Jane is a global icon spreading hope and turning it into meaningful positive impact to create a better world for people, other animals, and the planet we share.
Scott Shigeoka

Scott Shigeoka is an internationally-recognized curiosity expert, speaker, and the author of Seek: How Curiosity Can Transform Your Life And Change The World. He is known for translating research into strategies that promote positive well-being and connected relationships around the globe, including at the UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center and through his popular courses at the University of Texas at Austin. Scott has spread the gospel of curiosity to public officials, health care professionals, artists, activists, writers, media organizations, educators, community leaders and businesses. Originally from Hawai′i, Scott now lives in California.
Kendall Cotton Bronk, Ph.D.

Kendall Cotton Bronk, Ph.D., is the Principal Investigator for the Adolescent Moral Development Lab and a Professor of Psychology in the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the Claremont Graduate University. She is a developmental scientist interested in studying and promoting positive youth development and the moral growth of young people. Most commonly, she has investigated these topics through the lens of young people’s purposes in life.

Her research has explored the relationship between purpose and healthy growth, the ways diverse groups of young people cultivate purpose, and the developmental trajectory of youth with strong commitments to various purposes in life. Her work has been funded by the Spencer Foundation, the John Templeton Foundation, the Templeton World Charity Foundation, the Templeton Religion Trust, and the Fulbright Foundation.
Victor Saad

Victor Saad is the founder of Experience Institute (Ei), TED speaker, and a Forbes 30Under30 recipient in the field of education. In 2012, Victor launched Ei by designing his own Master’s through 12 work experiences in 12 months. Since then, he and his team have worked with thousands of individuals and teams to grow in their careers by combining relevant curriculum, caring community, and memorable experiences. He’s also the founder and director of Design Formation, a program at Stanford’s d.school — helping students build the bridge between the classroom and the broader world of design. When he’s not leading or facilitating, he’s on his bike or working on his next writing project.
Jonathan Collie, MD, MBA

Jonathan Collie is a social entrepreneur and innovator. In 2014, he co-founded The Age of No Retirement CIC, the innovation agency which has done so much to reframe retirement and ageing. Much of his ground-breaking research paved the way for The Purpose Xchange which he co-founded in 2021. Jonathan is a former medical doctor and clinical transformation lead at EDS and Perot Systems. He has an MBA from Edinburgh University. He lives in London with his wife and two children. He enjoys cycling and oil painting and is a massive fan of cricket and rugby.
Ladybird

Ladybird is currently a private palliative care consultant with Mettlehealth where she co-facilitates discussions about the practical, emotional, spiritual and existential elements of chronic and terminal illness. She offers similar support as a staff member at Commonweal’s Cancer Care Help Program. Ladybird’s other primary interest is in supporting the work of psychedelics as tools for transformation. She is a co-investigator/study therapist with a University of Washington study of psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy and a Learning Facilitator for Synthesis LLC Psychedelic Practitioner Training. Ladybird has been working in end-of-life care as a registered nurse, social worker and educator for over 20 years with organizations including The Zen Hospice Project and Doctors Without Borders (MSF), guiding individuals, families, caregivers and medical practitioners to find their clearest voice as they step across significant thresholds in life and in preparing for death.
Lester Strong

Lester Strong is the founder and senior advisor of the Peaceful Guardians Project which serves as a bridge-building tool to foster greater communication and trust between groups with strongly divergent views. He is the former chief executive of AARP Foundation Experience Corps, which tutors and mentors 30,000 elementary school students with reading deficits annually in 23 cities across the United States. He was also a television journalist and producer for 25 years in New York City, Boston, Atlanta and Charlotte. Lester has studied and practiced Eastern philosophies and meditation for four decades in India, Australia, Europe and the United States. He is a graduate of Davidson College and Columbia University Business School’s Institute for Nonprofit Management.

With this live, online event, you’ll watch real-time presentations via Zoom, follow along with downloadable slides, and participate in small group sessions—all from the comfort of your home, office, or anywhere with an Internet connection.

Links to join the event via Zoom will be shared with registered participants via email two days prior to the event.

While it is not required, we recommend setting up a free Zoom account to familiarize yourself with the platform before this event. Accounts can be set up through the Zoom website.

Attendees will learn:

The meaning, value, and benefits of having a sense of purpose in life
A science-based process for exploring their purpose
Techniques for tapping into their creativity and sense of possibility
Tools for identifying their core values and goals in life
Strategies for converting their aspirations into a concrete course of action

Created by UC Berkeley’s Greater Good Science Center (GGSC), in partnership with CoGenerate, "Purpose Across Your Lifespan" is a companion online mini-course that offers research-based techniques to hone your sense of purpose, no matter what stage of life you’re in, from the formative years of adolescence through midlife and older adulthood. It can also be used by educators, coaches, parents, mental health professionals, or anyone else trying to guide someone on their path to purpose.

This course guides learners through a series of activities that inspire reflection, action, and self-discovery--all based on key lessons from the science of living a purposeful life and grounded in design thinking. Each module combines insights from this research with inspiring stories and practical strategies that can be applied to your life, career, and community. This learning journey will tap into your creativity, prompt introspection, and inspire you to connect with what really matters most.

Everyone who registers for the “Purpose Across the Lifespan” event will receive FREE registration in the certificate track of this companion online mini-online course, which would otherwise cost $149 per person. Once registration for this course opens (by October 2023), event registrants will receive a code they can use to register for the special certificate track for free--a bonus of their event registration.

The Scholarship Application period is now closed. We will be contacting all sholarship applicants by October 25th.

If you have questions regarding this event or the scholarship process, please contact us at greater@berkeley.edu.