For Us, Everyone is
Marked with Purpose
Our vision is a world where every young person can discover their purpose and reach their full potential through education.
Our Vision
We envision a world where everyone has equal opportunities to grow into a person who recognizes their uniqueness, develops strong social-emotional skills, and finds meaning and purpose in life through active participation.
As youth mental health challenges have grown, many educators feel stretched beyond their limits as they strive to support diverse youth needs. At MARKED, we’re here to support those who support others—offering tools that empower educators to make a lasting impact on youth, while also reconnecting with their own well-being and sense of purpose.
Our Mission
Our mission is to impact 10 million young lives by 2023, by equipping educators with research-based programs that help youth build connection to self, others, and the world around them, leading to a stronger mental well-being, deeper learning, and active participation.
Education is not just about outcomes—but about becoming. For us, every educator is a societal changemaker and every young person is #markedwithpurpose, with something unique to contribute. This isn’t just another training or curriculum—it’s a way of teaching. Ready to spark it in your community and see the change?
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The Story Behind MARKED with Purpose
Imagine a world, where every individual has from a young age the skills to understand emotions, strengthen positive self-perception, and discover their purpose in the world.
The vision of MARKED with Purpose was born in Ida Nevalainen’s classroom, where she saw the urgent need for real, effective solutions to youth well-being. As an educator and therapeutic guide, she witnessed how self-doubt, lack of direction, and underdeveloped social-emotional skills were contributing to the youth mental health challenges.
Determined to make a change, Ida began teaching her students with the tools to build self-worth, foster social-emotional growth, and discover their personal sense of purpose through active participation. A student’s realization—“There’s nothing wrong with me; I just haven’t understood myself”—became a powerful turning point, sparking a deeper sense of cooperation, motivation and self-acceptance in the classroom.
From this moment, MARKED with Purpose was born. Today, it is growing into a global movement, equipping educators with the tools to make a meaningful impact on young lives while reigniting their own passion and purpose in their profession.
"When you do nothing, you feel overwhelmed and powerless. But when you get involved, you feel the sense of hope and accomplishment that comes from knowing you are working to make things better."
- Pauline R.Kezer
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Meet our team:
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Leading the Global MARKED Educator Program is Anne-Mari Kuusimäki, a dedicated educational professional with a PhD in Philosophy (Education) from the University of Helsinki. With 20 years of experience in training, Anne-Mari is a seasoned teacher, solution-focused trainer, and coach, with expertise as a solution-focused neuropsychiatric coach.
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Annukka Töyri is one of the trainers in the Global MARKED Educator Program. She is an accomplished educator and doctoral researcher with a Master’s in Education and a specialization in special education. Additionally, Annukka is a certified solution-focused supervisor and neuropsychiatric coach, bringing valuable expertise and dedication to our trainings.
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We don’t get to know ourselves just for our own sake, but in order to understand how much we have to offer to the people around us.
