For many minority, first generation, and other under-represented students at two small universities, graduation and a successful career seem almost out of reach. Lack of preparation, lack of confidence, and lack of career-focused experiential learning opportunities leave students feeling frustrated and result often in their early departure from higher education. This newly developed and piloted experiential learning educational program provides opportunities that allow students to grow and develop inside and outside the classroom. Through community building and regional partnerships—enmeshed in a visible number of academic departments campus wide—the researchers endeavored to promote engaged and active learning. Engaged, active learning encourages students' connections with college resources with diversified programming that includes (a) internships, (b) service learning communities, (c) experiential immersions, (d) undergraduate research platforms, and (e) capstone projects, all of which directly correlate with increased retention and persistence in higher education.
Innovations in Active Learning in Higher Education