PeerForward Boosts College Persistence and Graduation
PeerForward-trained Peer Leaders expand the capacity of student support systems, and encourage students to seek out campus resources to overcome obstacles. By providing real solutions to student challenges, and measuring and supporting progress, Peer Leaders can ensure students graduate on time.
Here’s How…
1. Identify and Recruit
Using our proven method, we identify teams of student leaders who are influential on campus — their peers look to them and want to be like them. These Peer Leaders will be trained to run interventions on their campuses.
2. Train and Inspire
Selected college Peer Leaders spend several days over the course of the summer and school year attending transformational workshops. Students leave confident, inspired, knowledgeable of campus resources, and committed to guiding their classmates through higher education.
3. Lead Campus Interventions
With the support of PeerForward Coaches and college advisors, each Peer Leader connects with a team of 10 to 15 students identified as at risk of dropping out. Through a series of check-ins, interventions, and on-campus campaign activities, Peer Leaders help their peers navigate the stressors of college life.
4. Track and Manage Results
Peer Leaders set goals, identify metrics, organize events and communications, track their peer team’s progress using real-time data, and report out to their PeerForward Coach to continually strategize on how to reach their goals of helping students persist in college.
Three Powerful Campaigns
Peer Leaders work directly with their team members and also run events for the wider campus community to address the top reasons why students drop out of college.
Academic performance can be influenced by everything from registering early for classes to selecting the best fitting pathway. Our Peer Leaders will connect students to tutoring and academic resources, advising appointments, and more.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required for need-based financial assistance, yet 2.2 million low-income students never file. Once in college, Pell-eligible college students who continue to file for aid have 122% higher odds of persisting than low-income students who fail to file.
Understanding the resources on campus is one thing; pursuing them is quite another. With a range of campus programs to address everything from academics to mental health, it is critical for students to exercise their self-advocacy and build their sense of belonging on campus.
Tools and Resources Ensure Peer Leader Teams are Successful on Campus
PeerForward Coach
A full-time PeerForward staff specialist trains and motivates PeerForward Peer Leaders to lead the interventions and campaigns by providing a steady stream of information and encouragement, conducting regular team huddles, and tracking team progress.
Online Training
Once Peer Leaders are identified, they attend a series of workshops to refine their relationship-building and problem-solving skills, and increase their awareness of campus resources for financial and academic needs.
Campus Resources
PeerForward Coaches and teams work with the campus liaison and existing campus departments to ensure students can successfully navigate the college environment. Teams are plugged into campus systems, resources, and initiatives so they can offer real-time support.
Technology
PeerForward curates the top communication tools to ensure Peer Leaders can communicate safely and effectively with their student teams. Reporting tools allow Peer Leaders and their teams to record their activities and manage their progress.
“The great thing about PeerForward, and what makes it different from other college mentoring initiatives, is that they bring in the leadership component. Students are going to be hand-in-hand leaders, working with our staff and the administration of the college in moving those campaigns, because we know that’s what it’s going to take to retain the students.”
Esmeralda Sweeney, Associate Vice President
Student Achievement Initiatives, Broward College
For more information, please contact
marketing@peerforward.org
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