A custom message for Blair Academy
Helping Blair Students Turn Courage Into Purpose, Stories Into Superpowers, and Concern for the World Into Meaningful Action
Planet Courage is a student-centered speaking and storytelling experience that helps young people build resilience, discover their voice, strengthen their communication, and connect who they are with how they serve, lead, and make a difference.
Today's students are navigating pressure, uncertainty, anxiety, big questions about the future, and a world that can often feel overwhelming. At Blair Academy, students are already being known, challenged, and supported within a vibrant community built on strong relationships, academic rigor, communication, character, and service.
Planet Courage builds on that foundation.
Through storytelling, reflection, media, and real-world examples of changemakers, Planet Courage helps students recognize that their lives already hold the raw material for courage, leadership, communication, service, and impact.
This is not just a talk students listen to. It is an experience that helps them name their gifts, reflect on what they care about, and take one meaningful step toward becoming the kind of leaders, communicators, and community members Blair prepares students to become.
Why Planet Courage Fits Blair Academy
Planet Courage connects directly to the values Blair already nurtures in students: strong relationships, communication, academic curiosity, character, service, community, global citizenship, and the courage to engage meaningfully with the world.
Purpose, Character, and Resilience
Helping students navigate uncertainty, pressure, fear, self-doubt, and big life questions with courage, reflection, and a stronger sense of purpose.
Communication and Student Leadership
Helping students see communication as a leadership skill and use their voice, story, values, and gifts to connect with others and make a difference.
Hope, Belonging, and Emotional Strength
Offering a non-clinical but deeply human message about courage, anxiety, grief, belonging, self-worth, and the strength that comes from being known, supported, and connected.
Service and Real-World Engagement
Helping students move from awareness to action by asking: What do I care about? Who is affected? What gifts do I have? And where can I begin?
Climate Courage and Global Citizenship
Helping students face climate anxiety with stories, solutions, and real-world examples of responsibility, stewardship, global citizenship, and possibility.
The Student Experience
Planet Courage is designed for Blair students who may be wondering:
- Who am I becoming?
- What gifts and talents do I have?
- What do I care about?
- How can I use my voice with courage and clarity?
- What does it mean to serve others and engage with the world?
- How do I face the future without feeling overwhelmed by it?
- What kind of leader, communicator, and community member am I becoming?
By the end of the experience, students are invited to see themselves as people with real-world superpowers:
What Students Walk Away With
A stronger sense that their story matters
A clearer understanding of their "real-world superpower"
Language for naming their gifts, values, and purpose
A hopeful way to think about fear, pressure, and uncertainty
A deeper connection between communication, character, service, and leadership
Examples of everyday people making meaningful change
A practical invitation to serve their school, community, and world
A reminder that leadership can begin with one honest question, one true story, one thoughtful conversation, or one brave next step
Featured Work
Explore examples of storytelling, speaking, hosting, and media work connected to the Planet Courage approach, including stories of climate solutions, community leadership, service, global citizenship, and everyday changemakers.
Drawdown's Neighborhood
A storytelling series highlighting climate solutions and everyday heroes in communities across the country.
Watch / Learn More
The Global Solutions Diary
Stories of changemakers around the world turning climate solutions into action.
Watch / Learn More
20s & Change: San Francisco
A pilot film passing the mic to changemakers who often go unheard. Join the conversation on identity, inspiration, and impact.
Watch / Learn MoreTrusted by Colleges, Universities, and Institutions Including:
What Students, Educators, and Partners Are Saying
"Matt's 'pass the mic' project is beyond inspiring. It is so smart, so creative, so needed. Several students said to me how much they enjoyed Matt's presentation and conversations… And how much they learned from him. Getting to know him and working with Matt has been an immense pleasure and privilege. He is such a special and gifted person. I have enjoyed our collaboration – and look forward to much more."
Frank Sesno
Emmy-winning journalist; Director, School of Media & Public Affairs and Alliance for a Sustainable Future
The George Washington University
Talk Experiences
Planet Courage can be adapted for Blair Academy assemblies, School Meeting, Chapel reflections, advisory programming, dorm conversations, leadership and public service initiatives, wellness programming, public speaking and communication experiences, Intersession connections, climate and sustainability conversations, and community-wide events.
Pricing note: Lower-end investment reflects an experience with Matt Scott (based in the DC area). Higher-end investment reflects an experience with both Matt Scott and Erik Douds (based in the Denver area).
Keynote Experience
$2,500–$5,000
+ travel & lodging
Half Day
A powerful single talk designed for a Blair assembly, School Meeting, leadership event, wellness program, or community-wide experience.
Includes:
Best for: Schools looking for a high-impact assembly or featured speaker experience.
Inquire About KeynoteDay of Talks
$5,000–$10,000
+ travel & lodging
Full Day
A full-day experience that brings Planet Courage to multiple Blair student groups, classes, and communities across campus.
Includes:
Best for: Schools that want to reach multiple grade levels, leadership groups, dorms, or student communities in one visit.
Inquire About Day of TalksPlanet Courage Embed
$10,000–$20,000
+ travel & lodging
5 Days Total
A deeper engagement designed to build momentum with Blair students over time. Typically across two visits of approximately 2.5 days each.
Includes:
Best for: Schools that want Planet Courage to support a larger initiative around student leadership, communication, service, sustainability, or community impact.
Inquire About EmbedPlanet Courage Residency
$25,000–$50,000
+ travel & lodging
10 Days Total
A signature multi-visit experience that helps Blair students move from inspiration to storytelling, action, and community celebration. Three campus visits.
Includes:
Best for: Schools looking for a transformational, community-wide experience that builds student voice, communication, courage, character, and impact over time.
Inquire About ResidencyA Message for Blair Academy Leaders
You are not just booking a speaker. You are creating a moment for students to pause, reflect, feel seen, and connect their own stories to a larger sense of purpose, communication, character, and service.
Planet Courage meets students at the intersection of the questions they are already carrying: Who am I? What gifts do I have? What matters to me? How do I deal with fear? What kind of future is possible? What role can I play in building it? And how can I use my voice and story to serve others?
For Blair Academy, this experience can support the values already woven through school life: relationship-based learning, academic rigor, excellent communication, inclusive community, real-world engagement, service to others, global citizenship, and the formation of students of outstanding character.
Planet Courage gives students language, stories, and tools to begin answering those questions with courage.
Customize This Experience for Blair Academy
Every Planet Courage visit can be shaped around Blair's goals, values, calendar, residential life, and student needs.
Bring Planet Courage to Blair Academy
Help Blair students turn courage into purpose, stories into superpowers, and concern for the world into lives of communication, character, service, and meaningful action.