Great Beginnings
Each quarter, we honor first year Learning Community (LC) students for their demonstrated engagement in learning.
Individual Awards
A minimum requirement of 80% attendance of the LC meetings as well as the high quality of participation in and out of the LC. Each Learning Community works bases their activities on a LC curriculum that emphasizes University Engagement, Professional and Civic Responsibility, Integrated Learning, and Intellectual and Self Management. The Learning Communities honored are from the four colleges that participate in the Peer-led program:
- College of Allied Health Sciences
- College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services
- College of Engineering and Applied Science
- McMicken College of Arts and Sciences
If a student receives the Great Beginning's Certificate all three quarters, they receive a Year Long Engagement Award, which we call the Samurai Certificate. These students have higher retention rates and are well positioned to achieve on-going awards. In 2011-2012 academic year, we had 705 students who received the Samurai Certificate.
Congratulations to the 758 Spring 2012 Great Beginnings Certificate Recipients!
Congratulations to the 705 Samurai Certificate Recipients for the 2011-2012 Academic Year!
Learning Community Awards
Fall and Spring, the Learning Communities participate in a project, which are displayed at a Great Beginning's Ceremony. The Learning Community is similar to a non-credit seminar and we want to honor the hard-work that the students put forth in their LC. Check out the Gallery to see a variety of projects that are recipients worked hard on creating. Below are the recognized projects:
Spring 2012 Better Place Project Winners:
Arts & Sciences (Sciences) - Chemistry (BA). Peer Leader: Hannah Wolfer
The Chemistry LC students researched the positive affects science can have on a student and decided to hold a special experiment day for 3rd-5th grade students. The LC students were able to share their passion for science to others and to create a fun environment for elementary students to learn about science outside of the classroom!
Arts & Sciences (Humanities, Social Science and Exploratory) - Psychology I. Peer Leader: Naomi Clements-Brod
The Psychology I Learning Communities Better Place Project was a creative way to educate college students about the harmful effects of stress. The students held an event where students could write something that is a stress their life and put it inside a helium filled balloon. All together, the balloons were released into the air and students were able to "let go" of their stress.
College of Allied Health Sciences - Communication Sciences & Disorders. Peer Leader: Jackie Roell
The students in the Communication Sciences & Disorders LC chose to raise awareness about literacy in Cincinnati by collecting children's books. They placed bins around UC's campus and collected over 150 books that have been given to a handful of schools. The students made a video to talk about this process and the impact these childrens books can have on literacy.
College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services – Early Childhood Education III. Peer Leader: Meredith Stoller
The Early Childhood Education III LC wanted to address the issue of taking the arts out of schools. In order to give students an opportunity to express themselves through art, the students set up an art day at the Boys and Girls club in Avondale. Their video gives viewers an inside look at their day with the students as well as their decision making and reflections on the event.
College of Engineering and Applied Science - Construction Management. Peer Leader: Ariana Rinehart
The Construction Management LC chose to focus on UC community. They made a video specific for recruiting high school students to attending UC! "The video highlights the ordinary components of UC life in marvelously-captured detail from the perspective of the ordinary UC student!" The students were also able to incorporate the LC's interests by highlighting the architecture of UC's campus.