Hope Toolkit (Sample)
Culminating Assignment
The course builds toward a culminating assignment in which each student produces their own “hope toolkit” website. The website will contain resources each student wants to use to inspire hope in their own lives. By creating a website , student will be able to return to these resources when they need them most.
Part I – Definition of Hope
The first major assignment asks students to define hope in light of course content. They will need to explain: 1) How their own personal experience and hopes for the future inform the definition. 2) How specific sources from the class influence their definition (either by support or by way of contrast). 3) How their definition overcomes the harmful dimensions of hope explored in the first part of the course.
Part II – Icon of Hope
The second major assignment asks students to create—either directly or with the assistance of image-based AI tools—an “icon of hope.” The image should depict the person (real or fictional; famous or personally known) who serves as an exemplar of hope for the student. Produced in a distinct style, the image must contain symbols representing the reasons this person exemplifies hope. An accompanying “gallery note” will explain this symbolism, articulate the rationale for the chosen style(s), and justify the selection of the subject.
Part III – Practices of Hope
The final major assignment asks students to add sections to their website that outline practices they personally want to use to cultivate hope. They will identify their preferred practices after reflecting on experiences with a wide variety of hope building tools during the final portion of the course. Some pages are required (e.g., playlists, photo album, etc.) while students while select other pages to add on their own.
