Teach high school and college students to build networks of support

What Is It?

Connected Scholars is a research-informed course designed to meet the needs of high schools, colleges, and universities interested in implementing a mentoring program for its students. Instead of matching students with assigned mentors, students are trained to understand the value of building their social capital and then, learn and practice networking and relationship-building skills to expand their social networks. The goal is for young adults to develop life-long skills that will benefit their academic, professional, and personal lives.

Topics Included

  • Networking skills
  • Identifying supportive adults within one’s network
  • How to identify and recruit new mentors
  • Developing and maintaining a relationship with mentors
  • Benefits of building social capital
  • Identifying life goals and developing plans to achieve them
  • Being an engaged and appreciative mentee
  • Overcoming challenges to networking

Students Learn

  • The value of building social capital to achieve life goals
  • How to build their social support networks
  • How to identify mentors from within their existing networks
  • Help-recruiting and networking skills
  • To develop relationships with potential mentors

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

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Instructor Training

How long does the training take?

The training consists of a two-day comprehensive workshop conducted by certified Connected Scholars trainers for future instructors of the Connected Scholars course.

Where is it held?

The training can occur at your site or at the iRT office.

What topics are addressed?

Topics include the history and research on youth-initiated mentoring; the conceptual framework and logic model; how each lesson relates to the model; and suggestions for teaching each lesson.  

Are there any additional requirements for teaching the program to students?

Yes. You complete a 1-hour, online certification test after attending the training workshop and receive a certificate of completion.

“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

The Solution

A research-informed program that teaches high school and rising college students the rarely taught relationship- and network- building skills needed for college and life success.

 

Increase college student attendance, retention, achievement, and engagement.

Initial studies of the effectiveness of Connected Scholars indicate that students:

Build knowledge, skills, and feelings of self-efficacy related to networking and connecting with mentors
Increase students' willingness to seek support from others
Improve relationships with instructors and staff on campus
Increase their GPAs, especially for first generation college students

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    Innovation Research and Training, Inc.

    5316 Highgate Drive
    Suite 125
    Durham, NC 27713-6629
    United States
    www.irtinc.us
    (919) 493-7700
    info@irtinc.us