Peer pressure can sometimes become more influential than we think. The decisions that young students make can threaten or strengthen academic goals in and outside the classroom. How can aspiring academics affirm their own interests, attitudes and values while avoiding a sea of opinions and mindless conformity?  This workshop focuses on better understanding what social courage is and how to develop social skills as added academic support. By the end of this interactive workshop participants will have opportunities to explore their unique strengths and inner voices as tools that counter obstructive social influences. Participants will learn offensive and defensive strategies to resist social pressures. In addition, participants will learn to seek peers and adults as social resources to develop social capital.  

            In many cases – we wing it! It’s the truth! Without strategies, we do our best with what we know, use the same approaches that just don't work, or simply give up. Especially when trying to navigate through school, there is no clear guidance or course that teaches young academics how to handle common, unexpected, or major life pressures. Stress is inevitable, but how students cope with their troubles may significantly affect attention, motivation, and academic progression. This workshop offers a gateway to increased control over school and life stressors. Specifically, this workshop targets thinking and behavioral traps that often intensify stress. The goal is to learn preventive and responsive strategies that cultivate resiliency. By the end of this interactive workshop participants will have learned practical and adaptive problem solving strategies that will help them excel inside and outside the classroom.  

          Pursuing and dedicating relentless energy toward high aspirations begins with the belief that getting there is possible. The words, “I go to seek a great perhaps” comes to mind. But what are the inner and outer conditions that spark and sustain such pursuits? Understanding such conditions are important for the development of confidence, control, and choice with everyday experiences. This workshop focuses on better understanding how self-efficacy, self-esteem, self-regulation, and environmental structuring influence everyday decisions. The aim is to examine how existing potentials and exploring possible selves can help achieve personal, academic and professional aspirations. By the end of this workshop participants will know how to deploy ongoing and self-determined strategies that will help link current academic progression and possible future career paths.
 

          Most classrooms must focus on ‘what’ to learn. The curriculum set forth is important to develop a knowledge base that is needed as a standard and to advance to the next grade level. However, ‘how’ students learn may not be at the forefront of such content. Restrictions with time, available resources, and diversity may create difficulties for such undertakings. This insightful workshop focuses on ‘how’ learning and memory work. It provides specific techniques that will help better understand how to approach the most challenging subjects and concepts. The goal is to increase interest enhancement, reflective thought and higher-level reasoning, which are important to academic performance. By the end of this interactive workshop participants will have learned specific and practical study strategies that will help them become purposeful learners.  

          What is STEM? What contributions has STEM already given to the world around me? Why is STEM important to the future? And more importantly, why should I consider being part of these fields? Providing answers to such important questions is key to increasing early forethought, participation and achievement in STEM disciplines. This exploratory and interactive workshop is designed to provide early exposure and interests in STEM. By the end of this workshop participants will understand what STEM is, its significance, and academic pathways to STEM degrees. Importantly, participants will understand the implications of current academic habits and standings. This particular workshop includes three different STEM majors and/or professionals in the field that share initial interests, and potential academic and careers paths.