How It Works

How is the program delivered?

Your staff or faculty teach the classes in-person to students. The Teacher’s Manual, Scholar’s Workbooks, and multimedia presentations are delivered to you and your students electronically.

How long is the program?

  • 15 lessons (50-75 minutes each)
  • 1 hour Transition to College panel
  • 1.5 hour Networking Event

What is included in the instructional materials?

Teacher’s Manual containing:

  • Scripted lesson plans
  • Interactive discussions and small group activities
  • Role plays and skill-building activities
  • Scholar’s Workbooks
  • Multimedia presentation slides
  • Program evaluation materials
  • Teacher Certification Test
  • Program evaluation materials including grading rubric
  • Certificate of Completion for teachers who attend the teacher training workshop and pass the certification test

Who is the program for?

Connected Scholars was designed for high school students and college students. The program is available in two versions: one is designed to be taught to high school students making the transition to college classrooms, and the other is intended for first year college students.

How was it developed?

The in- and out-of-class activities and writing assignments included in the Connected Scholars program are based upon pilot studies, teacher feedback, and findings from research on topics such as:

  • College entry, retention, achievement, and graduation
  • Mentoring effectiveness and student-initiated mentoring
  • Effective goal-setting and planning skills
  • Networking strategies

                             

“It made me more aware of how I should be networking more and how networking isn’t as hard as it seems.”
-Connected Scholars Student

The Problem

  • Low college completion rates, especially among first-generation students and students from low-income families
  • College engagement varies dramatically across students
  • More educated parents have broader social networks
  • Youth from affluent families have a wider range of informal mentors
  • Cultivating mentors is a lifelong skill that is rarely taught
9 %
of children from the lowest family income quartile earn a bachelor’s degree by 24 years of age
77 %
of children from the highest family income quartile of families earn a bachelor’s degree by 24 years of age
< 28 %
of college graduates strongly agreed that their professors either encouraged them to pursue their hopes and dreams, or cared about them as a person