Addressing needs like this one (better role models) and others like it (such as society being increasingly polarized) I think ought to focus on changing the incentives, rather than trying to use the attention algorithms themselves for greater good. What if through a mixture of funding models (donations for an endowment, fundraising events, corporate sponsorships, grants, etc.) we created a scholarship program where youth interview adults in their community and share what they learn to apply for the scholarship.

Ideally there would be a winner in each grade from 5th-12th in each of 3-4 categories:

• write a paper/essay
• produce an audio podcast
• produce a video
• create an artistic visual?? (for other artistic medium such as clay, paint, etc.)

Each entry would need at least 3 interviews with different adults (not a relative) in their community (who live within 50 miles of where the student attends school as an example), each adult would need to meet at least 1 of 7 (I'm making this up) criteria such as: different political leaning than parent(s)/household, different religion (including no religion) than the student or their parent(s)/household, at least 25+ years older than the student, different race/skin color than student, working in or retired from industry/career different than student's parent(s) or other immediate family (aunt, uncle, grandparent), etc.

The scholarship criteria would be something along the lines of sharing/introducing each person interviewed, what the student learned from the person, how the student had their worldview expanded/challenged over the course of the interviews and project (modified age appropriately for each grade level). Perhaps there would be a set list of 3-5 questions the student would ask each interviewee such as: Tell me about one of your role models, how does a person become a role model in their community, how are you involved in your community... Student can ask their own questions too.

Could incentivize participation by entering teachers and/or schools with a certain percentage of participation with entry into a drawing for a classroom or school grant.

Adults sign up as a volunteer in their area. Or schools and other organizations could organize events for students and potential interviewees to show up together.

Basically encourage regular every day adults to share their stories, incentivize kids to hear and reflect on those stories, producing content that could be shared with the broader community.

This is a very rough draft idea that came to me reflecting on this unmet need post.

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