Find your starting point.
Your interests are a starting point. Find opportunities that feel like you.
Find your pathStand out in
admissions
Discover extracurricular opportunities and work with expert mentors to build a Purpose Project that showcases leadership, impact, and initiative.
Start buildingApply for the Purpose Project CohortStart your own project in 8 weeks
Join over 150,000+ students served
Apply for the
Purpose Project Cohort.
Apply for the Purpose Project Cohort. Tell us a little about yourself and choose a time to talk with PCF.
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Our Counselors and Past Students Attend
Find your
next thing.
You don’t need your whole future figured out. Just a little curiosity, a cause you care about, and a place to start.
Explore opportunitiesBuilding something of your own? Share itThe opportunity board
Choose an interest ↓
Make something useful.
Code a tool, share a skill, or find a team to bring an idea to life.
Preview the directory. Create a free account for full details.
A little direction,
a lot of possibility.
Good things start with a first step.
Let’s find yours.
Make that idea happen.
Brainstorm, start, and scale. Make something meaningful, one step at a time.
Explore the frameworkA little guidance. A lot of possibility.
Work through your ideas with someone who has been where you are.
Meet your supportSomething good to read.
Explore practical guides, fresh perspectives, and student stories in the PCF journal.
Open the journalWhat Our Students Say
Real experiences from students building their Purpose Projects with PCF.
Brooks
11th Grade
7chapters started with a growing team
…I now knew exactly what steps to take. I was also assisted in gathering a team to help me.
Valeria Castañeda
12th Grade
6,000+NeuroSphere members in one year
Through the Project Connect Forum, I was able to transform what began as a passion project into a true purpose project.
Kieran
12th Grade
Easier recruitmentA clearer plan for finding volunteers
She introduced the idea of creating chapters… This made it much easier to gain volunteers… and overall set me up to achieve my goals.
Inis
12th Grade · Harvard '30
A purpose-led storyCofounding LEAP, an art initiative
…creating this project alongside a dedicated team has taught me so many life skills that I wouldn’t trade for anything else.
Payton
11th Grade
From idea to realityA project launched with confidence
After receiving advice from Andra I knew exactly what I had to do to make my project a reality and furthermore a successful one.
Notes from
the community.
@projectconnectforum 
Show what changed because of you.
A competition for students interested in design.
Explore a high school AI hackathon.
Find a way to volunteer from anywhere.
Selected from PCF’s Instagram. Open a post for the full guide and current details.
Doing good?
Let’s get the word out.
Your project deserves to be seen.
Find collaborators through our community.
Find your people.
Recruit members with a permanent place in our community roundup, alongside other student-led organizations.
Join the roundupYour project. The spotlight.
Tell your story with a dedicated Instagram post. Share what you are building and invite people to be part of it.
Get featuredA little shoutout.
Introduce your initiative to the PCF community with a story feature that stays up for 24 hours.
Share your storyGood questions.
Clear answers.
What is a purpose project?
A purpose project is a focused extracurricular initiative built around a specific interest, problem you want to solve, or impact you want to create. It’s designed to help you develop meaningful experiences that can strengthen your activities section, essays, and recommendation letters.
How long does it take to complete the 3-step framework?
The framework is designed to be flexible. Students can often brainstorm and begin planning within about a month. However, building a purpose project that is sustainable, demonstrates real impact, and is strong enough to stand out on college applications typically takes several months of consistent development, refinement, and execution.
Do I need prior experience?
No. Purpose projects are built to help students turn their existing interests, hobbies, or ideas into structured experiences, even if they are starting from zero.
How can a purpose project help my college applications?
A strong purpose project can help you demonstrate initiative, showcase leadership, generate material for essays, support award applications, and give recommenders concrete accomplishments to reference.