DEF's Work at Stanford
Empowering youth and graduate students with practical decision-making tools through Stanford partnerships and scalable DEF curriculum.
Pre Collegiate
Through a partnership with Stanford, DEF hosted 50 Decision Quality workshops a summer through Stanford’s Pre-Collegiate Studies Program. These workshops equipped students with essential Decision Skills through interactive activities like the Himalayan Decision, coin toss, and Conversations for Clarity.
One of the most exciting aspects of this program is how accessible and easy-to-teach DEF’s curriculum is. With the model of “see one, do one, teach one,” volunteers, such as Phil Beccue, were able to quickly pick up the curriculum and lead workshops with confidence. Inspired by his success, another volunteer, who wasn’t even a Decision Professional, picked up the materials easily and was able to successfully run their own workshop.
This curriculum is designed by DEF to be intuitive and easy to digest, with lessons that are fully scripted and supported with materials. This model coupled with the curriculum is scalable and effective, allowing more educators and volunteers to bring Decision Education to students. The impact continues to grow, with related organizations like EduExplora expanding these workshops to UC Berkeley.
Graduate Students
DEF’s materials’ value are not only limited to youth, but also highly valuable and applicable for young adults. DEF had the opportunity to deliver Decision Education to graduate students at Stanford through a three-hour workshop focused on optimizing their Stanford experience and preparing for career and post-graduate success. Through interactive exercises and practical decision-making frameworks, students walk away from the workshop with valuable skills to approach their academic and professional choices with clarity and confidence.
In addition to direct student engagement, DEF collaborated with the Stanford Engineering Center for Global & Online Education (CGOE)—formerly the Stanford Center for Professional Development (SCPD)—to support a certificate program in Strategic Decision and Risk Management (SDRM). DEF designed and delivered courses tailored for educators, equipping them with the knowledge and tools to teach Decision Education in their own classrooms. While the program received some of the highest course ratings within SDRM, it was ultimately discontinued due to cost barriers for educators.
