Missions - Where the Magic Happens

How can California better support public school districts that fall between high-wealth and high-need categories?

CURRENT FOCUS - For High School Students

This mission will focus on funding for Fremont Unified School District, CA which is ‘caught in the middle’: not wealthy enough to be self-funded through property tax yet not eligible for State funding above minimum mandated amount.

The goal is to explore funding equity for districts “caught in the middle” and aims to develop practical policy ideas that reflect regional cost realities and fairness.

Linked Mission: Attendance Matters - public awareness and action campaign

How do everyday food choices impact gut health and reveal deeper inequities in food access across communities?

CURRENT FOCUS - For High School Students

This mission will explore the relationship between food choices, gut health, and access disparities. Students will engage with Gut Check, a simulation game that highlights real-life trade-offs involving cost, nutrition, taste, convenience, and social influence.

Companion Artefact: Gut Check Game - coming soon! A fun interactive game experience to develop awareness about food choices and tradeoffs (cost, nutrition, etc.)

How might we acknowledge and honor the native lands we live on?

CURRENT FOCUS - For Middle School Students

This mission invites middle schoolers to investigate whose ancestral lands their schools now occupy, beginning with the Fremont-Newark-Union City area of California’s East Bay. Students will trace the stories of the Ohlone and other Indigenous communities, consult tribal representatives, and examine how local place-names, landmarks, and traditions reflect—or overlook—this heritage.

The goal is to craft meaningful land-acknowledgment practices and paired action plans (e.g., public comments at City and school district meetings, campus signage, curriculum modules) that move beyond symbolic words to tangible respect.

Students will strengthen their public speaking skills, while developing nuanced historical and social lenses through which they understand the communities they live in.

How can we create awareness that Every School Day Counts?

CURRENT FOCUS - For Middle School Students

This mission seeks to educate FUSD families and caregivers about the cost of missing a single day of school. Yes, there is the cost to learning and human development. Then there is the real but often under appreciated cost in terms of loss of school funding.

The goal is to uncover how families and students currently view attendance, and develop an educational campaign that celebrates how presence leads to progress. Every student matters, every day matters. Attendance today leads to achievements tomorrow.

How can schools normalize the use of Wellness Centers and remove the stigma associated with seeking support?

Future Focus

Many students hesitate to use mental health and wellness resources due to social stigma or lack of awareness.

This mission uncovers how students perceive Wellness Centers today — and co-creates a campaign to make well-being an accepted and celebrated part of school culture.

What does it mean to be truly original in a world where AI can generate anything?

Future Focus

Generative AI is transforming how we write, design, and create — but it’s also raising urgent questions about authorship, authenticity, and learning.

This mission explores the evolving role of creativity in the age of AI, and how we might empower students to use these tools ethically while preserving the human spark at the heart of expression.