gesture @ C21 Information

gesture is our early career laboratory within C21 in the College of Arts and Sciences. We develop online content and programs focused on fostering the mindset and skills that employers tell us they need in our graduates. Over the past decade, employers have told us very few of our students are actually prepared for the world of work. We realized school is the problem, not our students. The reality is that if school is the only skill a student has, then student is the only job they’re qualified for. So we built gesture around three foundational concepts to give early career preparation a makeover: mindset, story, and challenge. | Why mindset? | School is about solving student problems – homework, exams, and requirements. But the people who make a difference in the world outside of school are the people who solve the problems of other people. Our students do not lack skills or knowledge; they lack the mindset to create values for others. We help students build a new mindset. | Why story? | Story is the heart of our method. Everyone talks about storytelling, but telling is the least important part of story. At gesture, story is about listening, not talking. It is the tool to understand what matters to the audience. We help students move beyond telling stories about ourselves, for ourselves, to using story to connect to people, ideas, and communities. | Why challenge? | College should be a place for challenge. Instead, it has become, for many students, a place where we insulate them from any failure. In gesture, we start with failure, because real challenge and real growth always mean some risk. We help students embrace the right kind of risk, and build resilience for the failures that inevitably occur in real work. To learn more about gesture, our upcoming programs, and online content featuring the UNHIREABLE podcast, click the link below. If you are an employer who wants to know more about our work with students, don’t hesitate to contact us.