NEW DIRECTIONS FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, NO. 132, WINTER 2011 © WILEY PERIODICALS, INC. Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) • DOI: 10.1002/yd.425 13 The authors examine the research literature on teaching for youth purpose in formal and informal educational contexts. 1 Promoting youth purpose: A review of the literature Sonia Issac Koshy, Jenni Menon Mariano adolescence has long been considered a period of heightened purpose formation. According to Damon, Menon, and Bronk, pur- pose is an intention to accomplish something that is both impor- tant to the self and directed at making a difference in the world beyond self, usually in a positive way. 1 Studies of purpose exem- plars, for instance, profile young people who express commitment to diverse social goals, ranging from civic causes like improving people’s lives through preserving the environment or finding cures for disease, to making a significant contribution to the arts. 2 Pur- pose is an organizing principle, providing young people with a coherent vision of their future that connects in meaningful ways to their present life. So, for example, purpose can infuse young peo- ple’s otherwise seemingly mundane everyday activities, like school- work, with a heightened sense of motivation, relevance, and direction. The young person who previously found schoolwork boring might now, with a new purpose, view academic achieve- ment as a pathway to fulfilling vocational dreams. In this way, pur- pose provides focus and motivation, staves off boredom, and