In partnership with participating YMCAs
Exclusive Pilot · YMCA × Project OTY
Build Your Best Life.
A personal leadership and future-readiness experience designed to help you get clearer about who you are, where you want to go, and how you want to get there.
Whether you're figuring out what's next, building your career, or simply wanting to become a better version of yourself, this experience gives you the space and framework to think about something important: Your life.
Self-paced · 4 sessions · About 2-3 hours total
Your life. Your roadmap.
The world is changing
Your future won't come with an instruction manual.
There are more opportunities than ever before. There are also more choices, more information, more distractions, and more uncertainty. You may be thinking about…
Or maybe you don't have all of that figured out yet.
That's okay. Most people don't.
Project OTY isn't designed to give you the answers.
It's designed to help you discover your answers.
The most important person you'll ever lead is yourself.
Leadership isn't just about managing people or having a title. It's about learning how to make intentional choices, take ownership, navigate uncertainty, build confidence, and keep moving toward the life you want. Project OTY helps you develop those skills.
Because your future shouldn't just happen to you. You should have a hand in building it.
An opportunity for you
Take some time to think about you.
Through your YMCA, you've been invited to participate in the Build Your Best Life experience from Project OTY.
- —This isn't another class.
- —There are no grades.
- —There aren't “right” answers.
- —You're not being told what career to choose or what your future should look like.
Instead, you'll work through a guided experience designed to help you think more deeply about yourself, your future, and what you want to build.
Your life. Your goals. Your roadmap.
Start My ExperienceBig questions. Your answers.
Who am I?
What matters most to me?
What does success look like for me?
What am I naturally good at?
Where do I want to be five years from now?
What might get in my way?
Who can help me get there?
What can I start doing today?
You don't need to have all the answers before you begin.
That's the point of the experience.
How it works
Simple. Personal. Built around you.
Move through the experience at your own pace. Think, reflect, make decisions, and gradually turn your ideas into a clearer picture of your future.
01 — Learn
Discover more about yourself.
Work through four interactive sessions exploring leadership, strengths, motivation, confidence, goals, accountability, and your future.
02 — Build
Create your 5-Year Roadmap.
Turn everything you've been thinking about into an organized vision of what you want your life to look like five years from today. Not someone else's definition of success. Yours.
03 — Move Forward
Turn insight into action.
Your roadmap becomes something you can revisit, build upon, and potentially share with people you trust who can help you move forward.
For you
Walk away with more than ideas.
Clarity
Better understand who you are, what matters to you, and what you want.
Confidence
Build greater confidence in yourself and the direction you're heading.
Direction
Create a clearer picture of what you want your future to look like.
Self-Leadership
Strengthen your ability to make decisions, take ownership, adapt, and move forward.
Accountability
Connect what you want tomorrow with the choices and actions you're making today.
Your Personal Roadmap
Walk away with an organized five-year vision created by the person who knows your life best: You.
Skills that matter everywhere.
What you develop through Project OTY isn't limited to one job, one role, or one stage of life. These are skills you can carry with you wherever you go.
In life
- Confidence
- Self-awareness
- Decision-making
- Personal responsibility
- Goal setting
- Resilience
- Direction
- Stronger relationships
At work
- Personal leadership
- Communication
- Accountability
- Adaptability
- Initiative
- Growth mindset
- Goal achievement
- Working effectively with others
Why YMCA + Project OTY
Investing in people.
The YMCA has always been about more than programs, facilities, or jobs. It's about helping people grow.
Helping people build confidence. Helping people discover their potential. Helping strengthen individuals, families, and communities.
This Project OTY pilot extends that commitment by giving young adults and YMCA employees an opportunity to invest in their own growth, leadership, and future.
When people become stronger leaders in their own lives, they become stronger teammates, employees, leaders, family members, and members of their communities.
Built with young adults
Thousands have already taken the journey.
10,000+
Young adults served
35+
Countries of origin represented
96%+
Report increased clarity & confidence
~ 100%
Educator and leadership endorsement
“Project OTY is the most comprehensive solution I've seen for developing future-ready young adults.”
— Tim Sinatra, YMCA CEO
Clarity & Direction
"It allowed me to explore my aspirations and gave me a sense of direction in life."
"This program gave me a sense of purpose and relieved my uncertainty."
Confidence & Motivation
"I realized my strengths and weaknesses, which boosted my confidence."
"Having a clear vision made me more determined to work hard and succeed."
Reduced Stress & Resilience
"Having a roadmap reduced my anxiety about the future."
"I've learned how to manage stress and bounce back from difficult situations."
“I never knew something like this existed. It was honestly one of the best things I have ever done.”
— Jessica Popiel, Student, Portland Community College
Before you start
A few things to know.
How long does it take?+
Approximately 2 hours total, broken into four 20–30 minute sessions. You do not need to complete everything at once.
Is this a test?+
No. There are no grades and there aren't right or wrong answers.
Do I need to know what I want to do with my life?+
Absolutely not. The experience is designed to help you think through those questions.
Is this career training?+
No. Your career is part of your life, but Project OTY looks at the bigger picture — who you are, what matters to you, and the life you want to build. That said, you will walk away with insights that will help you enjoy more success in your career and life.
What will I create?+
You'll build a personal 5-Year Roadmap that captures what success looks like to you and where you want to go.
Do I have to finish it all at once?+
No. The experience is self-paced.
Is my information private?+
Project OTY takes privacy and responsible use of participant information seriously. Personal reflections should be treated appropriately and transparently. See our and .
A note from our founder
I wish someone had helped me think about these things when I was your age.
I've spent much of my career building companies, developing leaders, coaching young adults, and trying to understand what helps people become the best version of themselves.
And I've come to believe something very strongly:
We spend a tremendous amount of time preparing young people for what's next — but not nearly enough time helping them figure out what they actually want “next” to look like.
Project OTY grew out of that idea. We're not here to tell you what your life should look like. We're here to give you a framework, some questions, and the space to think.
To think about who you are. What matters to you. Where you want to go. And what you can do to begin moving in that direction.
You don't need to have everything figured out. Very few of us do. But having greater clarity, confidence, direction, and people around you who support where you're going can make an enormous difference.
That's what I hope you get from this experience.
Build a life that's meaningful to you.
Jeff Otis
Founder, Project OTY
Your YMCA pilot
Here's what you need to know.
- Who
- Invited young adults and employees of participating YMCA organizations
- Experience
- Build Your Best Life by Project OTY
- Format
- Self-paced online experience
- Time
- Approximately 2-3 hours total
- Sessions
- 4 sessions, approximately 20–30 minutes each
- Cost
- Provided as part of this YMCA pilot
- Access Code
- To be provided
- Pilot Window
- Starts: 11/1 - Ends 11/30
- Feedback
- You'll be encouraged to share candid feedback to help Project OTY keep improving the experience.
Your future
You don't need to have it all figured out.
You just need to be willing to start thinking about where you want to go.
Take a little time. Invest in yourself. Build your roadmap.
Start the Experience4 sessions · About 2 hours · Built around you