Helping Young People Feel That They Matter

We focus on how educators can support young people’s eudaimonic well-being, that is, their sense of meaning, purpose, growth, and self-actualization. This view of well-being suggests that a deep, transformative, and enduring form of well-being can be obtained through living a meaningful life. First, we discuss peace education, most notably peer mediation. Second, we draw on a case study of a young girl transformed by the experience of leadership and altruism in a high-poverty school, and we end the chapter with reflections on how helping young people feel seen and heard, and encouraging them to give back to their communities, might offer new insights on what it is to teach and learn in deeply purpose-driven and connected ways.