A custom message for St. Elizabeth Catholic School
Helping St. Elizabeth Students Turn Courage Into Confidence, Stories Into Superpowers, and Care for Others Into Meaningful Action
Planet Courage is a student-centered speaking and storytelling experience that helps young people build confidence, discover their voice, recognize their gifts, and connect who they are with how they learn, serve, lead, and care for others.
Today's students are growing up with big questions, big feelings, and a world that can often feel overwhelming. At St. Elizabeth Catholic School, students are already being nurtured in a community rooted in faith, scholarship, service, tradition, academic excellence, and care for the whole child.
Planet Courage builds on that foundation.
Through storytelling, reflection, media, and real-world examples of everyday changemakers, Planet Courage helps students recognize that their lives already hold the raw material for courage, kindness, leadership, 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 classmates, friends, leaders, and community members their school and world need.
Why Planet Courage Fits St. Elizabeth Catholic School
Planet Courage connects directly to the values St. Elizabeth already nurtures in students: faith, scholarship, service, tradition, academic growth, compassion, community, and the courage to use their gifts for others.
Confidence, Growth, and Resilience
Helping students navigate pressure, fear, self-doubt, friendship challenges, and big life questions with courage, reflection, and a stronger sense of who they are.
Student Leadership and Service
Helping students see leadership not just as being in charge, but as using their voice, choices, kindness, and gifts in service to others.
Hope, Belonging, and Emotional Strength
Offering a non-clinical but deeply human message about courage, feelings, friendship, belonging, self-worth, and the strength that comes from being seen, supported, and connected.
Compassion and Community Impact
Helping students move from "I care" to "I can help" by asking: What do I care about? Who can I support? What gifts do I have? And where can I begin?
Climate Courage and Stewardship
Helping students face concern for the planet with stories, solutions, and real-world examples of responsibility, stewardship, and possibility.
The Student Experience
Planet Courage is designed for St. Elizabeth 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 kindness?
- What does it mean to serve others?
- How can I help when the world feels big?
- What kind of friend, classmate, leader, and community member am I called to become?
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 courage
A hopeful way to think about fear, pressure, friendship, and uncertainty
A deeper connection between courage, kindness, service, and community
Examples of everyday people making meaningful change
A practical invitation to serve their classroom, school, family, community, and world
A reminder that leadership can begin with one honest question, one kind choice, one true story, 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, stewardship, 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 St. Elizabeth Catholic School assemblies, middle school programming, upper elementary enrichment, service-learning initiatives, student leadership programs, retreat-style reflection, wellness days, faith-and-service conversations, climate and stewardship activities, and community-wide experiences.
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 St. Elizabeth assembly, student leadership event, Catholic Schools Week program, faith-and-service day, or whole-school inspiration 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 St. Elizabeth student groups across the school community.
Includes:
Best for: Schools that want to reach multiple grade levels, leadership groups, clubs, 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 St. Elizabeth 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, service, compassion, 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 St. Elizabeth 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, confidence, courage, and impact over time.
Inquire About ResidencyA Message for St. Elizabeth 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 courage, kindness, faith, service, and community.
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 handle fear or pressure? How can I be kind and brave? What role can I play in helping others? And how can I use my life in service of something larger than myself?
For St. Elizabeth Catholic School, this experience can support the values already woven through school life: faith, tradition, scholarship, service, academic excellence, whole-child formation, compassion, community, and the call to care for one another.
Planet Courage gives students language, stories, and tools to begin answering those questions with courage.
Customize This Experience for St. Elizabeth Catholic School
Every Planet Courage visit can be shaped around St. Elizabeth's goals, values, calendar, student ages, and community needs.
Bring Planet Courage to St. Elizabeth Catholic School
Help St. Elizabeth students turn courage into confidence, stories into superpowers, and care for others into lives of faith, scholarship, service, tradition, and meaningful action.