Project Name: Mind the Gap: Building Skills for Success

Project by Faculty Innovation Fellows Candidate Kim Scott

Why is this project important to you, your department, & your Fellows?

I realize that in order to prepare students with skills to navigate the real world, learning must extend beyond the classroom. This project aims to bridge the gap between what is currently being taught in classrooms and the skills students need to be successful after college.This project aligns with one of the school’s strategic goals to create transformational experiences for our students.

Description

The program involves a series of opportunities created to foster creativity, promote curiosity, cultivate innovation & help build social and cultural capital among a diverse cohort of undergraduate students.The goals of the program is to ensure students develop a well-rounded skill set that includes cultural awareness, the ability to thrive in diverse environments & prepares them for success in both their academic and personal lives. Students will be introduced to creative problem solving techniques, explore creative outlets, learn to embrace failure as learning and challenge assumptions, and practice design thinking principles. Students will also participate in a series of workshops to enhance their social and cultural capital facilitated by faculty and alumni. Each participant will be required to complete a capstone project that integrates creativity, curiosity, and innovation to address a real-world challenge. The project will require students to launch small-scale experiments and create prototypes to test and validate their ideas. Students will produce a digital portfolio to showcase their project & document participation in the program.

Stakeholders served

Undergraduate Students
Alumni
Faculty

Key Milestones

December 2023:
- University approval of program
- Promote and recruit students for 1st cohort
- Write grants to obtain funding
January 2024: Launch of Mind the Gap Program - Phase 1(Spring Semester)
March 2024: Kickoff of social and culture capital workshops by alumni and faculty
June 2024:
- Feedback from students, alumni and faculty and evaluation of program
- Revise programming as necessary based on feedback
- Phase 2 - Capstone Proposals Due from students
September 2024:
- Launch of Mind the Gap Program - Phase 1 (Fall Semester)
- Approval of Capstone Proposal Ideas
December 2024:
- Celebration of 1st Cohort completion of Phase 1
- Feedback from students, alumni and faculty and evaluation of program
- Revise programming as necessary based on feedback
- Recruit for 2nd Cohort
March 2025:
- Capstone Project and Portfolio due for 1st Cohort