Hope and Future-Orientation

Freshman Year · Spiritual · Required Lesson

Hope & Future-Orientation

25–30 minutes Medium Required

Destination

By the end of this conversation, the mentee should be able to name a real goal, at least one pathway toward it, and one reason they believe they can actually get there.

Stop 1 of 4

Talk

Goal: Explore how the mentee currently thinks about their future—without requiring them to have it all figured out or to explain past hardship.

“Hope isn’t about pretending things are easy. Researchers who study hope have found that it’s not a feeling you wait for—it’s a skill you can build, no matter what you’ve been through.”

Choose three to five questions

1. When you picture yourself five years from now, what comes to mind?
2. Has there ever been a time you weren’t sure you’d get through something, but you did? What helped?
3. Do you tend to think there’s usually more than one way to reach a goal, or does it feel like there’s only one path?
4. Is there something you want but don’t currently believe you can achieve? What makes it feel out of reach?
5. Who or what has helped you keep going during a hard stretch?
Mentor Tip: For mentees who’ve faced real instability, “picture your future” can feel loaded or even painful—don’t assume it’s an easy or neutral question. Let them set the scope and depth of what they share.

Stop 2 of 4

Learn

Hope is a skill, not just a feeling

Researcher C.R. Snyder studied hope for decades and found something surprising: hope isn’t a vague, passive feeling you either have or don’t. It’s an active way of thinking made up of three specific parts—and it can be learned and strengthened over time, just like any other skill.

GoalsHaving something specific you’re working toward
PathwaysBelieving there’s more than one route to get there
AgencyBelieving you have the ability to actually walk that path
Route 21 Big Idea:
Hopeful people don’t face fewer obstacles than anyone else. What sets them apart is that when one path closes, they look for another one instead of giving up.

Hope vs. optimism

OptimismA general belief that things will probably work out
HopeA specific belief that you have a real path and the ability to walk it

You can be optimistic in general but still feel hopeless about one specific goal if you can’t picture a real pathway toward it. Building actual pathways—concrete next steps—is often what turns vague optimism into real hope.

Why this matters especially here: Research on hope has found it’s linked to resilience specifically in people who’ve faced real adversity—not because hard things become easier, but because hope helps people keep generating new pathways even after setbacks.

Stop 3 of 4

Try

Build your own hope map

Pick one real goal and fill in the three parts of hope together.

My goal___________
Pathway 1___________
Pathway 2 (if one gets blocked)___________
A past success that shows I can do this___________
If your first pathway hit an obstacle tomorrow, what would you try next?

Choose Your Route

Pick the video that best fits your time and interest today. You only need to watch one.

Level 1 · Quick Stop

Hope: Goals + Agency + Pathways

Approximately 3–5 minutes

A short, clear breakdown of the three parts of hope theory and how they work together.

Watch the Quick Stop
Talk afterward: Which of the three parts—goals, pathways, or agency—feels strongest for you right now?

Level 2 · Scenic Route

Hope Is the Most Powerful Force in the World

Approximately 10–13 minutes

A TEDx talk from a survivor and educator on how hope has shaped his life and work supporting vulnerable young people.

Take the Scenic Route
Talk afterward: What stood out to you about how he describes hope in action?

Level 3 · Open Road

The Science and Power of Hope

Approximately 15–18 minutes

A researcher who specializes in hope’s role in helping people overcome trauma and adversity explains the science behind it.

Explore the Open Road
Talk afterward: Did anything in the talk change how you think about hope during hard times?
Mentor Reminder: Let the mentee choose the route whenever possible. The hope map built above matters more than the video.

Stop 4 of 4

Grow

Reflection

What’s your goal, and what’s your first real step toward it?
Which part of hope—goals, pathways, or agency—would you like to build more of?
Who’s someone who could help you find a new pathway if your first one gets blocked?
What questions do you still have?

Hope grows with practice

You don’t need to feel hopeful about everything at once. Building hope around one real, specific goal is a great place to start—and it tends to spread from there.

How can your mentor help?

How can Route 21 help?

Would connecting with a program, resource, or role model tied to your goal be useful?
Mentor Wrap-Up:
Did the mentee leave with a real, specific goal and at least one concrete pathway—not just a vague wish? Did they name a real reason to believe in their own ability to get there?