Over the course of any sustained project or practice, there are many sources of interest and engagement that compete for attention and effort. To support sustained effort and persistence, it is essential for learners to be clear on the goal and to have space to explore how the goal is meaningful to their own lives and communities. Further, it is important the meaning and purpose of the goal is clearly and consistently reinforced and apparent to learners throughout the learning process.

• Explicitly formulate or restate the goal.
• Display the goal in multiple ways.
• Encourage organization of long-term goals into short-term objectives.
• Use prompts or scaffolds for imagining desired outcomes.
• Co-construct ideals of excellence and generate relevant examples that connect to learners’ cultural backgrounds, identities, and interests.