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Voice Up®

Voice Up Community
Voice Up Logo

We Connect People to Purpose

Yes, we're accepting students — and yes, we are hiring.

The first step is simple: learn about who we are and the deep connection between our mission and helping people excel in the AI economy. You do that by following the five steps listed below — each one builds on the last to reveal your purpose journey.

Prefer to listen? You can listen to this whole page using the narrator just below. Then read carefully and scroll down to follow the five steps.

Scroll down to begin↓

Three Ways We Partner With Students

Learn about our transformational partnership pathways and how we support your journey.

Page Narrator
Gary, Indiana resident amid storm debris — Voice Up relief story
❤️ GARY RELIEF · FEATURED STORY · AUG 21, 2026
LIVE DATA

Help Gary, Indiana Families Recover.

9,272

customers without power · Lake County, IN

Most accurate, up-to-date figure available · Updated 2026-08-24 via PowerOutage.us. Refreshes daily.

Many of these families are in Gary, Indiana. Food, medication, and basic needs are still at risk.

📰 LATEST COVERAGE · AUG 21, 2026

NPR reports residents are in "survival mode" on a ninth day without power. CBS Chicago shows the community coming together at the City Life Center. Both confirm tens of thousands are still in the dark.

Read the full report — and support families through the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana and The Salvation Army Gary/Merrillville.

Here's what you'll do and why — Voice Up participants

🗺️ YOUR ROADMAP — 5 STEPS

Here's What You'll Do — And Why It Matters

Every person who joins Voice Up completes the same five steps — because understanding who you are is the foundation for everything else. See the full roadmap and why each step matters.

Our Five Core Principles

Collaboration

All are Welcome

The journey towards purpose begins with others that allow you to be the true you.

Humility

We all have much to learn

We can learn and become better with each conversation.

Precision

All the Details Matter

The steps we overlook may be the ones that make us great. There is power in consistency in a collaborative community.

Patience

We All Need Forgiveness

We all make mistakes. The key is to learn from each and become better.

Empathy

We Must Understand Your Why

We help you set a goal to talk to new people every week and share the lessons you learn.

Voice Up Vision — children reaching into a fountain
✉️ STAY CONNECTED — VOICE UP NEWSLETTER

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Get purpose-driven updates, new opportunities, and community stories delivered straight to your inbox. It's free, and it's one more way to stay connected to the movement.

You belong here — Voice Up community

🌍 EVERY CULTURE. EVERY LANGUAGE. EVERY PERSON.

You Belong Here. 👋

Voice Up® is a registered trademark of J Ellington Publishing LLC. Reg. No. 8,148,220.

It doesn't matter where you're from or what you've been through — this is YOUR place to figure out who you are and what you're meant to do.

Ready? Let's go! 🚀

Just scroll down and complete each step. It's free, it's yours, and it could change everything.

Scroll down to begin↓
Connect to Purpose — Voice Up Purpose Media Network
📡 PURPOSE MEDIA NETWORK

A New Kind of Media Network — Built by People Like You

Most media today talks at you. This one is different. It's built by real people sharing real stories — their history, their community, the things they care about — and working together as one coalition focused on purpose.

You don't just watch. You participate. You create. You share what matters to you, side by side with others who care about the same things. Every voice counts — and every person has something worth saying.

Our Community — A Cartographic Journey
🗺️ INTERACTIVE COMMUNITY MAP
Explore Talent Worldwide

See Where Our Community's Talents Are

Explore an interactive map of Voice Up community members across the globe. Filter by skill theme — writing, leadership, creative arts, and more — to see where each talent is concentrated.

💼

15 Skill Themes

Filter by talent

🔥

Fire & Causes

Anonymous hover

🌍

Global Reach

Cities worldwide

We Welcome Your Questions

Before you submit, please take time to read the instructions on this page for completing the introduction and review. This helps us give you the clearest answers and the fastest responses.

Step 2A — Begin Your Voice Up Journey
2A
OverviewREQUIRED

Official Sign-Up & Registration

This is where your journey begins. Please complete this step first — it only takes a few minutes.

Why this step matters

People who take the time to truly read, reflect, and act create measurably greater impact in their communities. This step only takes a few minutes — and it sets the foundation for everything that follows.

Learn what you'll do here and why
Titan of Life Fellows
📄 EVIDENCE SUMMARY

The Health Benefits of Purpose

A clear sense of purpose is one of the most powerful — and most underused — protective factors for human health.

20%

Lower mortality

Lower

Depression & anxiety

Stronger

Heart health

Faster

Recovery

Step 2B — Find Your Purpose, Elevate Your Impact
2B
OverviewSTEP 2B

Find Your Purpose. Elevate Your Impact.

We appreciate your completion of Step 1A. This next step continues the process of learning more about who you are, what motivates you, and how you believe you can make a positive impact on our world.

Start here! Watch a quick intro to Voice Up. Everyone does this first.

Training the next generation of purpose driven leaders
🔬 FIELD DEFINITION & PRACTICE

Applied Purpose Science

We are pioneering an emerging discipline — the study and practice of how people discover purpose, translate it into action, and sustain it in healthy, ethical ways.

2,941

Participants

900+

Cities

134+

Countries

Titan of Life — Training the Next Generation of Purpose-Driven Leaders
🏆 STUDENT LEADER FELLOWSHIP
Free · Open to All

Titan of Life

Training the next generation of purpose-driven leaders

A 12-module, self-paced fellowship (12+ hours) that combines mental health literacy with career development — built on the true story of Melvin L. Burks, President & CEO of Hamilton Center for 45+ years. Rise from adversity to lead with discipline, long vision, resilience, and service.

Discipline

Structure as freedom

Long Vision

See 1–3 yrs ahead

Resilience

Dungeon mentality

Service & Dignity

Serve to build

What's Inside

  • ▸13 Titan Code life tools with age-specific interactive games (middle school → professional)
  • ▸AI-graded reflections with rubric scoring and personalized feedback
  • ▸Academic credit internships — high school through graduate school
Circle of Corydon Award
ISU Distinguished Alumni 2024
200+ Universities
4
OverviewREQUIRED

Share Your Talents

Let's take your best qualities to the next level.

The Purpose Fellowship — A Global Neighborhood Adventure
🎮 NEW · VIDEO GAME
For Kids · Ages 5+

The Purpose Fellowship

A video game that helps kids connect to purpose

A global neighborhood adventure where kids explore the five core virtues — Collaboration, Humility, Precision, Patience, and Empathy — through play. Built on the same principles as Voice Up, designed for young hearts ages 5 and up.

🌍

Global Adventure

🧪

Purpose + Health Lab

🎁

Free Weekly $50 Raffle

Also for little ones: Little Explorers (Ages 2–4) — and a dedicated hub for teachers & parents.

5
OverviewREQUIRED

Do You Have that Fire?

Share your passion and we'll connect your purpose.

$175 at Your Fingertips — The Power of Purpose
🎁 COMMUNITY CELEBRATION
June 2026

$175 at Your
Fingertips.

The Power of Purpose.

Because of our connection to the AI economy, we are able to provide $175 every month throughout our community — rewarding consistency, deep reflection, and the ability to make true career and life connections.

This economy gives you more free time to be the person you aspire to be and help others along the way.

Voice Up — For the People
🏥 Public Health Internship · Now Open

Community Awareness Internship

Helping Communities Prepare for the 2027 Medicaid Changes

100% remote. Serve as an educator, connector, and advocate — bridging the gap between public policy and everyday people. Academic credit available.

100%

Remote

Academic

Credit Available

Free

To Apply

✍️ OPEN CALL · NEW PUBLICATION SERIES

Lived Experience Publications

We are gathering the lived experiences of regular people — in ways that inspire others. Share a portion of your story through a short AI interview to see how it aligns with Voice Up's five core principles, or submit your story directly.

🤖 AI Interview

4 short questions

✍️ Open Submission

Share your story

6
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Titan of Life Well-being Assessment

For aspiring and existing leaders of organizations, people, and communities. Share your life journey and let's walk together towards purpose.

Note: Completion of this module is not required, but it's highly recommended because it provides insight into a new domain of health that Voice Up is pioneering for the benefit of all.

Training the Next Generation of Purpose Driven Leaders
🗞️ NEW INTERNSHIP · CURRENT EVENTS

The Current Events Internship

Watch a full PBS NewsHour broadcast and learn to see the themes that connect our world — peacebuilding, migration, climate, civic life, community institutions, and public health. Then connect them to your purpose.

Pioneering a New Field

We are pioneering the emerging discipline of Applied Purpose Science

$10,000 in AI Consulting — Nominate Your Favorite Local Charity Anywhere in the World
🤝 Community AI Initiative · Nominations Open

$10,000 of Free AI Consulting for Local Nonprofits

Voice Up is donating pro bono AI consulting time to 3 to 5 nonprofits serving communities most often left out of the AI economy. No cost. No strings attached.

The Purpose Behind This Innovation

  • ▸18 live platforms organized by theme — a complete resource ecosystem nonprofits can use directly, not just read about.
  • ▸The Naming Gap: recognizing what's already true but unnamed — the insight that shapes everything Voice Up builds.
  • ▸Tools for founders & leaders: entity formation, governance, board development, budget building, and IP protection.
  • ▸Meeting people where the gap is widest: health, healing, and the communities most often overlooked.
  • ▸Real infrastructure, not ideas: working tools — case management, curricula, assessments, and crisis safety nets already built and piloted.

$10,000

Consulting Value

3–5

Charities Selected

$0

Cost to Apply

The Purpose Fellowship — Teach for Purpose
🎓 Teach for Purpose · Fellowship Now Open

Teach for Purpose Fellowship

A Global Movement of Educators Connecting Learning to Purpose

Join educators around the world who are bringing purpose-centered learning into every classroom. Built on Voice Up's five principles — collaboration, precision, empathy, humility, and patience — and designed to meet students where they are.

Global

Educators

5

Core Principles

Free

To Apply

Voice Up Juneteenth — Set Free
🎉 Juneteenth 2026 · Special Analysis

The Five Truths of Juneteenth

And What They Reveal About the New AI Economy

From my grandmother's story to the future of work — five timeless truths that connect heritage, potential, and the opportunity that is right in front of you today.

Voice Up - Complete the Four Steps
📖 INTRODUCTION FOR THE PUBLIC

What Is Voice Up? Start Here.

New to Voice Up? Read our public prospectus — what it is, how it works, and why it matters — plus answers to 20 of the most frequently asked questions.

📄 Public Prospectus

Plain-language overview

❓ 20 FAQs

Honest answers

📄 PUBLIC REPORT — MARCH 2026

The Power of Quiet Conversations

Science has confirmed what many have felt for years: loneliness is killing us — and so is the absence of meaningful connections that build a sense of purpose.

871,000

Deaths/yr from loneliness

2,941

Participants (15 months)

900+

Cities Globally

🏥 PUBLIC HEALTH MODEL

Purpose, Health & Safe Community

A prevention-oriented public health model for young adulthood. NIH evidence-tier validated — purpose as a health factor, ethical AI as living infrastructure.

✓ Safe Space → Safe Community

Psychological safety enables authenticity

✓ Purpose as Health Factor

Lower mortality, better mental health

Voice Up Ellington
Perceptions with Impact
📄 DOCTORAL RESEARCH · PUBLIC PROSPECTUS

Perceptions with Impact

A groundbreaking study on why African American college students don't enter behavioral health careers — and how two minutes and one definition can change everything.

100%

Immediate shift after one definition

91%

Already doing the work

169M

Americans in shortage areas

The Right People - Ellington
🎵 YOU ARE THE RIGHT PEOPLE

We All Are the Right People.

Every one of us has talents waiting to be connected to purpose. It doesn't matter where you start — what matters is that you start. Let's start today.

🎶 1,109,736 Plays — 49+ Countries

Milestone crossed: 1,000,000 plays · May 3, 2026

The J Ellington catalog surpassed 1,000,000 cumulative plays on SoundCloud on May 3, 2026 — now at 1,109,736 plays across 49+ countries and 50+ cities on every inhabited continent. Achieved with a $16/month subscription as the sole investment — zero advertising, zero marketing spend.

~2,809/day

Current play rate

10 countries

27,000+ plays each

$16/mo

Total investment

All are welcome. Every culture. Every background. Every story. Your talents belong here.

The Path Forward
🧘 BE STRESS FREE ZONE

Be Stress Free Zone

Discover evidence-based tools and practices to manage stress, build resilience, and cultivate inner peace. Your mental health matters.

⭐ REAL STORIES. REAL IMPACT.

17 Students Who Changed Their World 🌍

From military mothers building advocacy networks to public health students designing digital tools — see how Voice Up participants transformed personal challenges into community impact.

98.2%

Satisfaction Rate

80+

Universities

900+

Cities Globally

"Being part of Voice Up has taken the project further than what I could have done by myself." — Kierra Thompson, U.S. Army Veteran & Former Captain

💼 CAREER PATHWAY PIPELINE
100% Remote · 8 Weeks

Voice Up® Career Pathway Pipeline Internship

Turn your lived experience into real income. Connect your purpose to the AI economy — with a dedicated mentor, weekly feedback, and verified opportunities paying $40–$100+/hour.

$100 Total

Full investment

100% Guarantee

Money-back

Own Everything

Your work, yours

Spice of Jade
✦ INAUGURAL EDITION
April 2026

Make the Difference — Student Story of the Month

That Lifeline: A Special Gem

The story of a sentence that changed everything

"Supporting special gems and those who raise them."

Featuring Kierra Thompson — U.S. Army Veteran and former Captain, U.S. Army — advocate for military families and children with albinism.

Spoon Theory - Spice of Jade
📖 BACKGROUND STORY & PUBLIC OVERVIEW

The Origin of Voice Up and the Make the Difference Network

What if the people we're looking for… are already here? The story of how one research question became a movement — and why it matters right now.

The Naming Gap

Already doing the work

The Intervention

100% immediate shift

The Hidden Workforce

Already ready

Miracle Has a Monster
📚 STUDENT-CREATED BOOKS
3-Book Series

Miracle Has a Monster Trilogy

Three books created by Voice Up students — covering emotional literacy, adventure & self-discovery, and health advocacy. Each one born from lived experience.

Miracle Has a Monster

Anxiety & courage

Unlocking More

Adventure & teamwork

Living with PCOS

Health advocacy

YOUR PERSONALIZED GUIDE AWAITS

We Appreciate Every Part of You That You've Shared With Us 💛

We appreciate all the time you spend sharing yourself and your future goals with us. At the completion of Step 5, you will receive your personalized guide for the first 8 weeks with Voice Up.

This guide is personalized just for you. We implement the guide together — within a safe collective of like-minded students — and collaborate in the creation of great things that elevate our communities.

Note: Step 6 is optional and designed for those who are focused on leadership development. Steps 1–5 are the core journey.

7
FELLOWSHIP

Voice Up Fellowship

Flexible 3, 6, or 9-12 month mentored fellowship for life transitions. Build clarity without pressure.

Voice Up
All the Colors - Voice Up
🌈 ALL THE COLORS TRILOGY
3-Book Series

All the Colors Trilogy

A unified developmental pathway — from discovering who you are, to learning how to work with others, to becoming who you're meant to be.

All the Colors of a King

Identity

The Purpose Fellowship

Connection

Titan of Life

Purpose

Build Me - Ellington
📘 THE FULLER ROAD SERIES
3-Book Trilogy

Learning That Sticks Trilogy

Three connected books that explain why people grow, how real learning happens, and how purpose becomes action at scale. The framework behind everything we're building at Voice Up.

Book 1

The Science of Purpose

Book 2

Learning That Sticks

Book 3

Connecting to Purpose

Have Nothing - Ellington
📘 UNIVERSITIES OF PRACTICE SERIES
3-Book Series

The Naming Gap Trilogy

Three books exploring what happens when human development is designed around participation, not performance — from recognizing talent to rebuilding systems.

The Naming Gap

Recognition

Make the Difference

Design

The Purpose Games

System

🌱 VOICE UP GAP YEAR

A Year That Builds Something Real

This isn't a year off. It's a year where you create, own, and scale something real — a book, app, program, or community initiative. And you keep ownership of it.

🩺 NOW HIRING — LCSW ROLES

Clinical Social Workers: Shape the Future of Behavioral Health

Two founding-level opportunities for LCSWs ready to build, supervise, and lead a next-generation community behavioral health workforce model. Select the role that aligns with your goals.

🩺 Clinical Supervisor

Oversee CHWs & workforce

🏛️ Founding Director

Lead national partnerships

8
ACADEMIC CATALOG

Academic Catalog

Nine publications spanning universal truths to academic validation. Complete framework for Applied Purpose Science. Rating: 9.6/10.

Create Your Safe Space Profile

Share your purpose, values, and aspirations. Connect with like-minded people on similar journeys.

🏥 PUBLIC HEALTH MODEL

Purpose, Health, and a Safe Space to Build and Rebuild Community

A prevention-oriented public health model for young adulthood. Human connection + ethical AI as living infrastructure. NIH evidence-tier validated.

✓ Safe Space → Safe Community

Psychological safety enables authenticity and contribution

✓ Purpose as Health Factor

Lower mortality, better mental health, faster recovery

✓ Teens & Young Adults (16-30)

Critical window for identity, health, and contribution

✓ AI + Human Connection

PLOS One 2025 validation: Ethical AI complements human support

"Safe spaces enable authenticity. Authenticity enables creation. Creation strengthens community. Community protects health."

18 slides with E1-E3 evidence tiers: CDC, WHO, National Academies, Holt-Lunstad, Frazier, Humayun et al.

🌱 FOR INTERNS & PARTICIPANTS

Purpose Alignment Questionnaire

Go deeper with your work. This tool helps you strengthen your connection to the projects you've created — reflecting on your why, your voice, and your next steps.

🎓 FOR UNIVERSITIES & INSTITUTIONS

Visiting Scholar Partnership Pathway

A structured, credit-bearing collaboration model for universities and institutions of learning to integrate purpose-centered courses.

✓ Credit-Bearing Courses

3-credit courses (8–12 weeks), fully online or hybrid delivery

✓ Research-Grounded

NIH-grade research, Fuller Method™, academically validated

✓ Real Work Products

Students create tangible contributions for communities

✓ No New Infrastructure

Expand offerings without new departments or faculty lines

"A ready-to-deploy academic collaboration model bridging research, teaching, and real-world application."

Perfect for R1 universities, community colleges, faith-based institutions, and global learning environments

Career Development that Creates Impact

Career Centers Start Today

Voice Up provides career centers with evidence-based tools to help students discover purpose, develop professional competencies, and navigate career transitions with confidence.

🎓 ADVANCED RESEARCH TRAINING

Voice Up Research & Certification Program

Learn to listen deeply, understand patterns in people's stories, and turn those insights into meaningful change.

✓ 6-Module Journey

From understanding yourself to sharing your discoveries

✓ University-Level Quality

Skills that meet advanced academic standards

✓ Earn Your Certification

Based on what you create, not just showing up

✓ The Naming Gap

Why talented people often go unrecognized

"Real innovation comes from paying careful attention to patterns that others miss."

BH Pathways: Behavioral Health Literacy for All

BH Pathways is a free, open resource created from doctoral-level research to help anyone better understand behavioral health and discover meaningful ways to support themselves and their communities.

Research Partners Welcome

Join our mission to study purpose as an upstream determinant of health. View our research executive summary and collaboration opportunities.

Join The Purpose Games Team

Four unique internships now available: Community Mobilization • Media Production • Leadership Mentorship • Public Health Research

97.1% Satisfaction
900+ Cities Globally
Sports & Mental Health

Voice Up is for Everyone

Built on Collaboration, Humility, Precision, Patience, and Empathy

Make The Difference

Share your ideas with the world. Elevate your local community. Join our global quarterly publication and annual conference.

Partner With Voice Up

Universities • Colleges • Non-Profits • NGOs • Foundations • Government • Employers

Join the world's first Global Experiential Learning Lab for Purpose-Centered Human Development. All are welcome.

What Is Voice Up?

Discover how we help people connect to purpose and move forward with confidence

We work with people across the world and organizations of all types — from ivy league institutions to community colleges, public schools to private schools, NGOs and non-profits, small business startups and solo entrepreneurs to the Fortune 500. All we do is connect people to purpose. Yes. We can start today.

Internships

Explore opportunities

Success Stories

Be inspired

Track Progress

Your status

Site Directory

Browse all pages

📚 INTRODUCTION TO VOICE UP

Feel Better. Think Clearer. Start Today.

Voice Up uses real science to help people improve their mental health. 2,941 participants across 900+ cities in 134+ countries have already used our tools.

VERIFIED DATA

Data & Infrastructure Snapshot

2,941

Participants

5,385

Verified Events

900+

Cities Globally

Ready to Begin?

Complete assessments 1-5 in order. Each builds upon the last to reveal your purpose journey.

Start your training. Let's begin today

Begin your journey with Voice Up through our comprehensive training program.

The Full Journey

Learn the full story of Voice Up and connect with all activities leading up to a meeting with the founder.

Well-being Assessment for All Learners (18+)

A comprehensive well-being assessment designed for all adult learners seeking personal growth.