Our Process
A six-week creative process where the next generation develops tools of Awareness, and reimagines how they get shared with the world.
Why We're Here
Our Why.
SOC 2.0 is a hands-on program built around a simple question:
How can we bring mindful awareness to the next generations and how can this be informed by youth insights and creativity?
Each week we practice a mindset tool -- Awareness, Acceptance, and more -- then workshop how to teach it to our own generation.
Days move through daily circles for connection and reflection, guided mindfulness practice, collaborative ideation, and real production of video and creative content -- anchored by a rotating series of guest speakers.
Week 1
July 7-9 - Finding our why and the tool of Awareness
Tuesday, July 7
Session 1
Circles - Start With 'Why'
Conscious Gen A and Gen Z contributors came together to discuss their “why,” after watching Simon Sinek’s classic Ted Talk “Start with Why -- How Great Leaders Inspire Action.”
Session 2
The Art Of Insight - Preproduction And Research
Group discussion on relationships to screen usage, framed as a discovery process for Human-Centered Design, incorporating authentic feedback from youth trained in conscious awareness.
Session 3
Generational Transformation - Storytelling Into Purpose
Conscious youth brainstormed how to teach conscious awareness to a peer using only paper and pencil. The session produced deep insights for universal ways to teach awareness.
Wednesday, July 8
Session 4
Perspective And Self Review - MBSR
Commenced a 6 week Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) practice, starting with a guided 15 minute body scan, followed by a Human-Centered Design-informed process of deconstructing and then reconstructing the MBSR practice through their generation’s perspective.
Session 5
The Power Of Curiosity And Ideation
Explored group insights and discoveries regarding effective content across different platforms (i.e. IG, YouTube, TikTok) and various content formats.
Session 6
Development And Iterations
Participants incorporated feedback from the previous session to develop new ideas and concepts for teaching awareness around screens, content and awareness.
Thursday, July 9
Session 7
Stream of Consciousness Brand Development
Gen Z creative contributor Aydyn Morgan led a brand development discussion focused on utilizing visualizing ingredients for light (consciousness) and water (emotion).
Session 8
Human Centered Design Research
Using Human Design–centered exercises, youth explored key themes around their generation's screen usage: Why don't people talk about awareness, and why is it hard to articulate? Why is it hard to stay motivated to practice? And how has practicing awareness helped you grow?
Session 9
Speaker Series: Tony DiZinno
Guest speaker Tony DiZinno (Director of Photography, Visual Storyteller) came and discussed the journey towards transcendence, mantra of mind-body-spirit, and creative storytelling as a means of communication.
Week 2
July 14-16
Tuesday, July 14
Session 10
Sensory and Awareness Meditation Practice
Grounded the morning in a sensory and awareness meditation exploring the themes of how to create, to focus, to be the observer in space during a meditative practice.
Session 11
Additional Insights into Our “Why”
Further discussed our collective “why” as it relates to our mission of finding the people who care about mindful awareness and how it intersects with creativity.
Session 12
Gen A and Gen Z Native Vocabulary and Viewing Habits
Conscious youth brainstormed how to teach conscious awareness to a peer using only paper and pencil. The session produced deep insights for universal ways to teach awareness.
Wednesday, July 15
Session 13
Breath as a Primary Object of Awareness
Continued our focus on MBSR practices with a guided sitting meditation using breath as the primary object of awareness, followed by a discussion of what resonated and how the experience could be reimagined and communicated to peers.
Session 14
Communicating the Tool of Acceptance
Using a Human-Centered Design-informed process, individuals drew what Acceptance looked like to them, then as a group discussed the most effective ways to teach the tool of Acceptance through media – whether that be a drawing animation, an individual explaining the tool, or something else.
Session 15
Curiosity & Ideation Creative Development
Formed groups to creatively develop scripts and short-form video content, such as TikToks, teaching the tools of Awareness and Acceptance, then dispersed to film a handful of videos exploring both serious and playful approaches to using them.
Thursday, July 16
Session 13
Real Life Tools For Resilience
Gen Z facilitator Isaac Milsap shared how the 7 Fundamental Life Tools helped him move through a challenging life experience without lasting trauma.
Session 14
An Introduction to CBT and ACT
Psychotherapist Cassandra Bowles shared her path to becoming a therapist and the modalities she uses in practice - including CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy), psychodynamics, and somatic exercises - along with an explanation of "thought traps" and how Awareness/ACT exercises can help pull free of them, and the need to further develop these concepts.
Session 15
Circles and Creative Development Time
Youth dissected what they enjoyed about and learned from Cassandra's talk, then returned to their groups from Session 15 to continue developing creative content teaching the tools of Awareness and Acceptance, incorporating one or two of the ACT exercises she presented.
Week 3
July 21-23
Tuesday, July 21
Session 19
Inspiration And Exploration
Opened with a group meditation using 4-count box breathing, followed by a moving musical performance from Sophia Elaina - inspired by a previous discussion on Awareness - before the group brainstormed additional words to describe and explain the concept.
Session 20
Identifying Themes Around Self-Betterment Content
Youth reviewed "conscious" TikTok content to identify what felt most engaging, authentic, and inspiring versus what failed to hold their attention, then broke into groups to surface common themes around where they go for self-betterment content.
Session 21
Creative Development Themes Established
After two weeks exploring different creative directions - from video content to animation to script writing - group projects began to form around distinct ways to share the Fundamental Life Tools.
Wednesday, July 22
Session 22
MBSR Exercise of Mindful Yoga
Youth were led through a series of mindful yoga exercises focused on bringing awareness to breath, movement, and sound vibration, then discussed how they might reimagine these practices within their daily lives.
Session 23
A Deeper Dive Into Screen Usage
Breaking into smaller discussion groups, youth explored screen usage and habits that might surprise older generations, as well as habits they feel negatively impact their own well-being.
Session 24
Video Content Featuring AI
After watching an Instagram video that falsely attributed an AI voiceover to Bruce Lee, the group discussed how this use of AI felt negative to them, then watched an After Skool video, "How AI Slop Will Spark the Next Human Renaissance," which they found inspiring.
Thursday, July 23
Session 25
Human-Centered Design Practice: Asking Good Questions
Youth reviewed a living art mural summarizing the group's insights and learnings so far, added new thoughts, and developed two "How might we..." questions to address anything that hasn’t yet been solved.
Session 26
An Introduction To Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
Julie Biaggi, a licensed clinical social worker trained in CBT, MBT, and DBT, shared how DBT grew out of CBT to support people experiencing intense emotions, walking youth through its basic principles along with worksheets explaining various DBT approaches.
Session 24
Ideation And Content Development Of DBT Principles
Breaking into small groups of three, youth brainstormed ideas and wrote scripts for content exemplifying non-judgment, curiosity, and acceptance.
Week 4
July 28-30
Tuesday, July 28
Session 28
Formalizing Structure And Standards For Digital Content Creation
The group discussed and collectively agreed on a more formal name for themselves - The Conscious Youth Advisory - then came up with the foundational standards and storytelling formats that will guide all future Stream of Consciousness digital content.
Session 29
Exploring Mindfulness Content On TikTok
Since TikTok is where many of our youth turn for both news and entertainment, the group reviewed mindfulness-themed content on the platform, identifying what made content resonate - like authenticity - as well as what made it fall flat.
Session 30
Building A Stream Of Consciousness Resource Library
Having identified their collective "why" - serving viewers with content that is helpful and affirming - the youth concluded that the Stream of Consciousness site should feature the best content available, regardless of creator, and should include a Resource Library curating videos from other creators.
Wednesday, July 29
Session 31
MBSR "Turning Toward" Guided Meditation
This week's MBSR exercise introduced "Turning Toward," a technique for facing difficult emotions or physical pain by drawing on awareness and non-judgment to intentionally lean into a challenge rather than avoid it.
Session 32
An Introduction To Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
Guest speaker Joe Tabinella - a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) trainer, Mental and Emotional Release (MER) trainer, and biofeedback and hypnosis instructor at the Hypnosis Motivation Institute (HMI) - introduced NLP and shared his personalized approach to aligning the creative, automatic mind with the conscious mind.
Session 33
Refining The Intention Process
Joe Tabinella guided youth through his intention-setting process - including how to enter the energetic state of having a wish already fulfilled - then brought the concept to life through a hands-on cornhole exercise.
Thursday, July 30
Session 34
The Art Of Brainstorming And Collectivism
The group explored ways to present the Fundamental Life Tools more effectively, such as having multiple voices share their own perspective on the same tool, or using a conversational podcast format to make the content feel more natural and engaging.
Session 35
Wisdom Seeker Circle
Youth gathered in a circle - a format known for building trust and deepening shared understanding - to discuss their personal experiences learning the tools of Awareness and Acceptance.
Session 36
Development Time
Drawing on insights from recent sessions, the youth filmed a video on Awareness, sharing their own personal experiences with the tool.
Week 5
August 4-6
Tuesday, August 4
Session 37
Optimizing The 7 Tools
Youth were guided through a contemplative meditation, reflecting on each of the 7 Tools from two perspectives - self-mastery and optimization versus a lack of awareness - and considering how life looks lived from each.
Session 38
Exploring Somatic Body Healing and Vipassana Insight Meditation Practices
Dr. Kelly Waggoner, a clinical psychologist, teacher, and speaker, introduced the group to her work blending the research and rigor of psychology with somatic body healing and Vipassana insight meditation, and walked through her three pillars of healing: mind/brain/cognitive wellness, body/somatic wellness, and spirit/soul wellness.
Session 39
Finalization Of Content Formats And Workflow
The group finalized four content formats - ranging from 3-5 second promo videos to long-form videos exploring the tools in greater depth - and laid out a clear workflow for how a project should move from start to finish.
Wednesday, August 5
Session 40
MBSR Exercise: The Mountain Meditation
Youth were guided through a visualization practice, imagining their body as a grand, unmoving mountain, to build inner strength, stability, and calm - helping them face life's changes and stresses with a steady mind.
Session 41
An Introspective Review Of Belief Systems
Youth reflected on their internal belief systems, from positive, life-affirming beliefs to limiting beliefs ready to be released, then explored how to build new, supportive beliefs grounded in evidence.
Session 42
The Practice Of Pre-Production
A pre-production practice focused on how to write content the creator genuinely believes in, while also considering what will be most helpful for viewers.
Thursday, August 6
Session 43
Mindful Awareness Visualization Exercise
The group was guided through a visualization exercise to experience thought forms objectively, without story or judgment, while observing, tracking and following their own consciousness.
Session 44
Creating Structured Content
Youth were introduced to a five-step pre-production process to guide content creation: (1) identify the theme, (2) set the intention behind the content, (3) identify one main takeaway, (4) determine the length and format, and (5) write the script.
Session 45
Development Time
Youth broke into groups to begin filming well-informed, structured content - either answering a "How Might We..." question or incorporating one of the Fundamental LIfe Tools directly into their piece.
Week 6
August 13 - 15
Tuesday, August 13
Session 46
5 Defining the Many Facets of Awareness
The group synthesized five weeks of learning into five distinct types of Awareness - thought watching, mind guiding, idea creating, story watching, and focused attention - along with core aspects that support the practice, including observing, describing, non-judgment, non-reactivity, and present-moment awareness.
Session 47
Introduction to Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT)
Therapist Julie Biaggi returned to introduce Mentalization Based Therapy (MBT), an evidence-based, relational approach centered on the ability to reflect on our own thoughts and feelings, as well as those of others - the foundation for self-regulation, healthy relationships, and problem-solving.
Session 48
Reflecting on The MBT Exercises
Youth reflected on the previous session's introduction to MBT, sharing feedback that the language felt overly clinical and could be simplified, while noting its core ideas - like empathy, curiosity, and understanding others without needing to "fix" them - offer a valuable foundation for stronger, more heart-centered connections worth teaching in a more accessible way.
Wednesday, August 14
Session 49
Final MBSR Exercise - A Loving Kindness Meditation
Youth were guided through the final MBSR exercise - a Loving Kindness Meditation focused on cultivating compassion for self and others. Feedback highlighted the challenge of visualizing specific people during the practice, leading the group to brainstorm ways to reinvent the exercise such as starting with people they love or know well, and reframing "someone you feel challenged by" as "someone who needs more compassion."
Session 50
Content Organization and Workflow Planning
The group mapped out content by format - promotional videos (5-30 seconds), short form (1 minute), mid form (1-3 minutes), and long form (3-9 minutes) - and organized a Google Drive folder structure for unedited, edited, and posted content, while assigning who would focus on each format and outlining intentions for how often each kind of content should be posted.
Session 51
Content Creation and Video Production
The group split into smaller teams to work on different kinds of content - some created TikTok and Instagram Reels-style promotional videos, others filmed mid-form pieces interviewing one another, and others focused on editing long-form or short-form videos - outlining video ideas, drafting scripts, and helping one another with filming along the way.
Thursday, August 15
Session 52
Reflections on Insights Gained
The group reflected on the insights gained from the last 5 weeks: exploring how authenticity shows up differently across platforms, why AI-generated content feels soulless, and how making consciousness accessible means simplifying language into mindset training and mindful awareness rather than clinical fixes. They discussed embracing an authentic self that won't appeal to everyone, moving toward an optimized self rather than away from struggle, and how talk therapy alone falls short of a holistic mind/body/soul approach.
Session 53
The 4 Patterns of the Subconscious Mind
Clinical hypnotherapist Joey Tabanella walked the group through the four patterns that shape the subconscious mind: limiting decisions formed to avoid discomfort, limiting beliefs, fixed ideas planted by parental or authority figures, and superfluous charged values, where a child absorbs and either leans into or pushes back against a parent's emotionally charged reactivity.
Session 54
Guided Visualization Meditation to Remove Emotional Overlays
Joey Tabanella led the group through a guided visualization meditation designed to remove the emotional overlays that block manifestation, having the youth focus on a want, imagining it vividly and emotionally, expecting and allowing it rather than forcing it, and replacing old ideas instead of fighting them, so change can unfold progressively and naturally.