Helping kids find themselves before they lose themselves.
At the turn of the Millennium, Dr. Rick Stevenson ventured forth on a personal mission to try and solve the mysteries of childhood by interviewing kids for 5000 days (the time from Kindergarten to grade 12). What began as a documentary project has evolved into an educational initiative dedicated to helping kids discover that they can be the author of their own lives. 6 continents, 6,000 one-on-one interviews and over 500,000 personal story recordings later, this deep-inquiry process (called the StoryQ Method) is helping kids find themselves before they lose themselves.
Today, The 5000 Days Project champions what is called “Personal Story Mentoring”- that is, in-depth private interviewing that creates an authentic video time capsule of growing up. This revolutionary, science-based method builds character and Emotional Intelligence while creating a priceless longitudinal personal documentary.
Perhaps the key finding over the two decades of conducting thousands of private interviews with kids is that, no matter what a child’s background, natural gifts, and experiences, nearly every child feels alone when faced with the challenges of growing up. When children have the opportunity to see these authentic Ambassador stories, they realize they are not alone in their fears and insecurities, giving them encouragement and support in the challenges they face.