🚀 Passion Pathways – Purpose-Led Mentoring Through What They Love
Passion Pathways is a 1:1 or small group mentoring program that helps neurodivergent young people discover their strengths, identity, and direction - all through the things they already love.
Whether it’s baking, building, anime, writing, gaming, sports, makeup, music, singing, or art - we use those passions as a launchpad for purpose, wellbeing, and future thinking. For many, it’s the first time their interests have been celebrated rather than pathologised.
👥 Who It’s For
- Neurodivergent young people aged 11–25
- Those who feel lost, excluded, stuck or unmotivated
- Children and teens out of education or emotionally based school avoidant (EBSA)
- Young people struggling with identity, confidence, or shame
- Those who’ve never been asked: “What lights you up?”
🎯 What We Do
- Match young people with a mentor who shares or supports their interests
- Use creative and therapeutic tools to explore identity, goals and pathways
- Embed soft outcomes like motivation, planning, expression, regulation, and future thinking
- Work towards a personal “Passion Project” — led by them, supported by us
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🌈 How It Helps
- Builds self-worth, direction and identity
- Encourages self-expression without judgement
- Offers structure, meaning and motivation without pressure
- Supports reconnection after school trauma, shutdown or burnout
- Helps create a pathway to something — college, skill, job, creativity, or joy
- Can link passions to enterprise, social connection, or real-world next steps
- Builds transferable skills like planning, resilience, and goal-setting -
🧠 Why It Works
Many young people shut down because they’re asked to do things that don’t matter to them. Passion Pathways flips that - and asks what *does* matter. It builds from the inside out, gently and relationally, using trust and shared purpose.
Our mentors are trained in trauma-informed practice, PDA profiles, coaching, motivation psychology, and youth engagement. -
🛠️ What’s Included
- Weekly or bi-weekly 1:1 mentoring
- Parent consultation and embedded goals
- Passion Mapping Workbook
- “Meet Your Mentor” intro sheet
- Pre/Post Session Self-Check Visual Tool
- 6-session review form for youth and carers
- Certificate or outcome report if needed for provision
- Optional ASDAN module or creative outcome
- Outcome tracker for EHCPs or AP evidence
- Pathway planning sheet for college/employment readiness
🔐 Safety & Support
- DBS-checked, trauma-informed mentors
- Adaptable to sensory needs, anxiety, demand avoidance
- Available online or in-person (select areas)
- Supported with optional emotional tools and reset planning
📍 Where & When
- Online UK-wide
- In-person by arrangement (limited Essex areas)
- Ideal for EHCP, AP, or direct mentoring placement
💬 What Young People Say
“I’ve never liked anything to do with school. This is the first time I’ve felt like I was good at something.”
🔬 Why Purpose and Passion Matter – Backed by Research
- Research shows that when young people feel a sense of purpose, their resilience and mental health improve significantly (Damon, 2008).
- Passion-driven learning increases motivation, emotional engagement, and wellbeing in neurodivergent youth (Deci & Ryan, 2000; Self-Determination Theory).
- Creative self-expression supports healing from trauma and shame, especially in those who have experienced exclusion or shutdown (Malchiodi, 2015).
- Autonomy and interest-based mentoring helps restore confidence and reduces oppositional behaviours, particularly in PDA profiles (Eaton & O’Nions, 2020).