What is the gesture Program?

gesture reimagines what college and career preparation can be. Change isn't optional, it's already here. As the landscape of work, learning, and technology continues to shift, gesture offers a new approach to preparing for the future of both college and early career. Rather than a single linear pathway, gesture operates through a set of connected courses, workshops, and experiential programs. Each offering is designed to help students practice our pillars: mission, challenge, and story in an AI-shaped world.

Mission

School is about solving your own problems – homework, exams, and requirements. But the people who make a difference are the ones who solve other peoples’ problems, not their own. We help students build a mission mindset: a focus on creating value for other people.

Challenge

College should be about challenge. Instead, it has come to insulate many students from failure and discomfort. But challenge drives growth. In gesture, we do not avoid failure; we seek it out, to build resilience for the failures that inevitably occur in real work. Early career success means seeking real challenge on your own, not waiting for the teacher to give you an assignment.

Story

Everyone talks about storytelling, but telling is the least important part of story. At gesture, story is more about listening than talking. Story is how we understand and connect people, ideas, and communities.​ Story is the tool we use to change our mindset, and solve problems for other people.

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Ready to explore gesture?

Watch or listen: Our podcast, UNHIREABLE, on YouTube and Spotify!

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UNHIREABLE Podcast

What AI Exposes About Learning

Curious how AI is reshaping college learning and early career? Worried how you can support your student from home?

In this episode of UNHIREABLE, Kevin and Matt sit down with Professor Anis Bawarshi from UW's English Department to unpack insights from their Family Weekend presentation on AI in early career and learning. Anis, who is collaborating with gesture on an upcoming winter course about learning with AI, shares his expertise on knowledge transfer and introduces the crucial distinction between "knowing how," "knowing that," and "knowing with"—the metacognitive skills that help students adapt learning across different contexts and use AI successfully. Together, Kevin and Anis explore how AI is transforming higher education and offer practical strategies for students and parents navigating this rapidly changing landscape.

Watch the Episode

Contacts

Portrait of Emily   Uematsu

Emily Uematsu

Program Operations Specialist
Portrait of Liz   Copland

Liz Copland

College Edge Director
Portrait of Kiera   Dempsey

Kiera Dempsey

Project and Systems Specialist

kdempsey@uw.edu

206-616-2970

Condon Hall 401

Portrait of Maile   Soo

Maile Soo

Talent Development Specialist
Portrait of Matt   Erickson

Matt Erickson

College to Career Initiatives

matteric@uw.edu

206.221.4506

CMU 050

Portrait of Kevin  Mihata

Kevin Mihata

Associate Dean for Educational Programs and Director of C21

kmihata@uw.edu

206-221-0856

050 Communications