As for the University of Louisville, TRIO’s mission is to increase retention, and graduation rates by offering academic, financial, and personal support. They are committed to helping low-income, first-generation college students with disabilities achieve a bachelor’s degree.
Due to the existence of the Higher Education Act of 1965, TRIO has helped individuals of low-income, individuals with disabilities, and first-generation college students. Thirty-five percent are whites, 35% are African-Americans, 19% are Hispanics, 4% are Native Americans, 3% are Asian-Americans, and 4 % are listed as “Others”, including multiracial students. As for the University of Louisville, TRIO’s mission is to increase retention, and graduation rates by offering academic, financial, and personal support. They are committed to helping low-income, first-generation college students with disabilities achieve a bachelor’s degree.
Since 2013, Aspire has specialized in highly interactive workshops and presentations geared towards the dreams and aspirations of students of all ages, nationalities, races, and classifications. At Aspire, we utilize research-based goal-setting methodologies while incorporating life experiences that aid in the success of students around the world.
–
OBJECTIVES
Aspire Institute: Virtual Instruction
Development of young minds, the Instillation of skills that have withstood the test of time, and an increase in self-confidence is what drives Aspire to be the most suitable force in education.
- Build soft-skills amongst the college students.
- Introduce Dream BLDRS concepts for career readiness
- Provide essential tools, for self awareness, high school to college transitions.
- Introduce mindfulness tip for stress relief and conflict resolution
–
IDEA
Aspire Institute, fueled by the DREAM BLDRS curriculum, is composed of interactive activities that students of the University of Louisville were able to engage in for a one hour session, virtually. The one hour session was presented through curriculum based modules, led by nationally renowned author, speaker, and chief Dream BLDR, Patrick Walker-Reese with a Mindfulness Connection segment led by Team USA athlete and volleyball coach, Christina V. Raiford. Through Aspire’s Dream BLDRS session with Louisville’s Trio program, students created personal vision statements, identified their passion through the world’s key problems, and identified their strengths through our world’s famous characteristics assessment.
Introducing Mindfulness Connection to the session enabled students of Louisville to feel present and aware of the space they were in through thoughts and emotions in their bodies. Mind BLDRS: Connection is intended to further help the University of Louisville students clarify their vision, goals, and routine towards a more proactive path.
Experience Highlights
- 1 hour Virtual Dream Building Session
- Mindfulness: Connection experience
- Dream BLDRS: Vision, Passion, Strengths
- Digital interactive workbook
- Virtual Typeform Data Collection
–
INSIGHT
Although covid restrictions prohibited an “in-person” experience with the Trio Program of UofL, we wanted to make sure that Aspire Institute was an experience effective enough for those who attended to have adequate tools to pull from no matter where they were. Our goal for Aspire Institute in this session was to give students an unforgettable experience in dream building for the hour.
About 46 students participated in this one-hour dream building session. We knew that if we wanted to make the one hour experience effective, we would have to give students enough information and guidance to help them transform their goals and aspirations from dreams to reality by the end of the session. Each student (all 46) submitted responses to every activity in the presentation. Out of the 46 attendees, a mass 88.9% were females and only 11% were males. At the end of the session, many students expressed how Dream BLDRS was essential to their personal dreams and aspirations. Each student left with more than enough tools to use for self-improvement.
DREAM BLDRS
IMPACT
Our session for the University of Louisville’s Trio program sparked the interest in students in 8 major fields. Although the students we work with are generally the most interested in athletics or entertainment, this was not the case for this group of individuals. Majority of the students expressed aspirations relating to healthcare. Business was the second most popular interest. It was very important to equip the students with the necessary skills and tools to thrive in this field.
Our strengths assessment is by far, the most popular activity throughout the many modules we contain in our curriculum. We understand that the ability to identify one’s strengths and weaknesses are essential when attempting to turn dreams into reality. Due to the fact that self-awareness is arguably the most important trait for anyone with dreams and aspirations, the strengths assessment helped students gain a heightened sense of self and understanding of their peers. Majority of the students identified with the owl strength. This means that they use a collaborating conflict management style to accomplish goals. In addition, they value information in order to solve all sides of a problem. Students agreed that this assessment is beneficial for student leadership on campus and in life.
- During the Vision session, the Occupational Focus was Healthcare at 25.6%
- During the Strength session, 67.4% of students identified as Owls—a collaborative conflict management style.
- Based on session data, the most common self-identified Strength was “supportive” at 84.4%
- 22.2% of the Strengths were “decisive”. The participants understood decisiveness as a Strength that needs to be developed for simpler decision making amongst each other in the work field.
