Foundations, a new student development series, begins next week and aims to help students build essential life skills. The series features sessions on important topic areas focused on leadership, career development, financial wellness, community involvement, healthy relationships and self-care, and physical health and nutrition. The series is led by a steering committee of representatives from Athletics, Career Services and Financial Literacy, and partners with the Offices of Health Promotion and Engagement Programs to deliver the series.
The idea for the series sparked from sessions Mark Trumbo, student-athlete engagement coordinator in Athletics, began offering student-athletes through the S-Project.
“As educators, we want to support each person in having a great foundation and self-awareness of many topics for their future,” says Trumbo. “One of the great things about Foundations is that we are taking programs already in existence and linking them in a way to maximize the student experience.”
Through the series, students will improve self-efficacy, gain baseline knowledge and resources, increase self-awareness and engage in and learn about being socially responsible.
“A core objective for Foundations is to prepare students for life beyond college. The skills students will learn in Foundations are essential to today’s job market and daily life, like learning how to balance a budget or develop a thought-out nutrition plan,” says Derek Brainard, financial literacy coordinator in the Office of Financial Literacy.
Sessions begin on Monday, Sept. 11, and run for six consecutive Mondays from 7-8 p.m. The session topics and locations are:
Undergraduate students who attend all six sessions can also enter to win a $1,000 scholarship. On Monday, Oct. 23, at 7 p.m., students are invited to attend a celebration in Kittredge Auditorium to reflect on what was learned throughout the sessions and announce the scholarship winner.
Next semester, the steering committee is looking forward to bringing other life-skill areas to the Foundations series and expanding the program and partners involved.
“We strive to offer students subject areas that they love, but can also learn from,” says Tracy Tillapaugh, assistant director of counseling in Career Services. “We’re excited to see this program take shape and evolve as more offices join in and students provide their feedback.”
For additional details on each session, as well as scholarship eligibility, visit the Foundations webpage. Questions can be directed to Tillapaugh.
