U-Thrive Educational Services had the exciting opportunity to attend the 44th Annual Conference on the First Year Experience in New Orleans, where we connected with higher education professionals and led a highly-engaged experiential learning session. During this session, we shared proactive mental and emotional wellness activities designed to support student well-being beyond the classroom, helping first-year students thrive in their academic journey.
This annual event provides a vital platform for educators to exchange insights, address challenges, and celebrate accomplishments in supporting student learning, development, and success during the critical first year of college. Attendees were encouraged to engage in meaningful collaborations, participate in thought-provoking discussions, and cultivate professional relationships that advance student success.
Key Takeaways from the U-Thrive Team:
- The First Year Experience (FYE) Community is highly collaborative, with a focus on sharing ideas and learning from one another.
- Practitioners are encouraged to explore more opportunities for offering students choice and agency—let’s keep the innovative ideas flowing!
- Dr. Jamil D. Johnson, Co-Presenter of the session “Review of the 2023 National Survey on the First-Year Experience” emphasized The Ecosystem of the First-Year Experience, which includes student mental wellness as a key component.
- As Service Learning experiences are increasingly integrated into first-year programs, there is a need for creative ways to evaluate the learning outcomes of these experiences, extending beyond traditional reflections.
- Training and supporting Peer Leaders and Mentors is essential, especially for first-generation students, to ensure success and build strong student support systems.
- With the decline of Common Reading programs (down 12% according to the 2023 National Survey), institutions must find new ways to cultivate connection, belonging, and shared understanding among students.
Feedback from U-Thrive’s Session “From Surviving to Thriving: Practical Activities to Foster Student Well-Being”
“The U-Thrive presentation at FYE gave me some very approachable ideas and takeaways to implement in my class. I am often intimidated by the wellness discussion since I am not a mental health professional, but this presentation gave me the confidence to have a meaningful conversation with my students that is appropriate for my level of expertise.”
~J. Vann, Academic Recovery Program, University of Oklahoma
“The presentation that Dawn and Simone did at the FYE Conference in New Orleans was amazing. It made me think about how to have students start shifting their mental thought process from ‘What If’ mode to a ‘What Is’ mode. The acronym PERMA can help anyone create an increase in their growth of mindfulness.”
~Liz Bradley, Career Advisor, Advising and Counseling Center, Tarrant County College
Want to learn more about helping First-Year students thrive in their academic journey? Contact us today to explore how your students can experience U-Thrive through campus-wide and department-level initiatives.
