Campus Connections

Biological sciences building in the spring.

Campus Connections Therapeutic Youth Mentoring program is a high-impact service learning course (3 credits) at University of Wyoming and a program serving local youth. Campus Connections was developed in 2009 at Colorado State University in response to a community request for additional services for youth experiencing difficulties.

CC is an innovative core service for youth exposed to adversities providing mentoring in a unique structure. This includes mentor mentee pairs being part of a mentor family with youth of similar ages, exposure to a college campus, academic support, dinner, pro-social activities, and integrated mental health services. Youth are referred from the juvenile justice system, schools, human services, and many other providers who recognize the tremendous benefits of therapeutic mentoring for youth.

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PROGRAM OVERVIEW

We accept referrals year-round and the program is at no cost to youth and their families. Campus Connections pairs undergraduate students with at-risk youth in one-on-one mentoring relationships, and these pairs are embedded in an on-campus community of other mentoring pairs in which youth gain friendships, academic support, and exposure to pro-social activities. Clinical psychology doctoral student therapists (supervised by licensed Psychology Dept faculty) provide integrated therapy services for youth and families through the UW Psychology Center https://www.uwyo.edu/psychology/center/). Colorado State University developed and licensed Campus Connections (https://www.chhs.colostate.edu/cc/) along with the Larimer County juvenile justice officials. The program has been successfully implemented at the University of Northern Colorado, Greely; University of Colorado, Colorado Springs; Colorado State University—Pueblo; and University of Auckland, New Zealand.

Youth Referral Form

what makes uw campus connections unique from other mentoring programs?

Takes place on a university campus, providing mentees with firsthand experience and a view of higher education as important and attainable.
Integrated mental health therapy services for youth (and guardians/families). Campus Connections has the structure and therapeutic staff to address mentees’ mental health and behavior issues that are beyond the scope of traditional mentorship programs.
Meaningful connections and support for the youth’s guardians/families.
Close collaboration with local community partners including referring agencies.
Graduate students and experienced mentors serve as mentor coaches, who provide support and guidance to mentors and mentees.
Faculty members with expertise in trauma-informed youth mental health interventions to create this unique and effective program.
Ongoing research provides feedback for program enhancements to maximize effectiveness and furthers national mentoring initiatives.
Parent education, community resource referral, emergency intervention, and therapy services surround mentees and their families in support.
Mentor-mentee pairs are organized into small groups called mentor families. Mentor families are an integral part of the larger mentoring community each evening at Campus Connections.

YOUTH INVOLVEMENT

Youth referrals are accepted year-round!

Campus Connections is a powerful campus-based therapeutic mentoring program for youth, ages 11-18. In our program, youth are paired in one-on-one mentoring relationships with undergraduate University of Wyoming students and together they participate in a structured and engaging weekly program. Youth mentees can meet with a therapist throughout the program to get additional support, work on accomplishing goals, and address other therapeutic needs. Youth are empowered to select their mentor, choose the activities they participate in, set goals for themselves, and seek support through clinicial psychology therapists.

A goal of Campus Connections is to promote the resilience and life success of youth who have experienced adversity through strengthening social bonds, increasing academic engagement and performance, decreasing substance use and delinquency, and improving sense of self.

Campus Connections Schedule

Each time youth meet with mentors they will be familiarized to the college atmosphere and vast opportunities college provides with weekly walks around campus. Through art projects, cooking classes, sports, dance, yoga, and more, our goal is to equip youth with niches, hobbies, and skills which prepare them to give back to the community, while growing in personal confidence.

Youth Arrive on Bus from School/3:15 pm

All ACSD#1 students are provided with bus transportation to UW Campus Connections.

Walk and Talk/3:30-4 p.m.

Walk and Talk is a half hour walk that takes place immediately after youth arrive. Mentor families “tour the campus” on walks to different buildings on campus. This is a time for our mentors to build strong relationships with their mentees as well as for mentees to get outside and explore everything that a college campus has to offer.

Supporting School Success/4-5 p.m.

Supporting School Success is an important part of Campus Connections because it is one-on-one time that the youth get with their mentor to focus on school. During this time mentees can work on anything from homework and time management skills to building a resume or filling out college applications. In the past we have brought in military recruiters, visited different departments on campus, as well as other career-building activities. During this hour, mentees can also get support to fill out job applications, write a resume, search for jobs, and talk to potential employers. Other specialized academic and professional skill-building activities are sometimes offered during this time as well.

Dinner/5-5:30 pm

Dinner is provided by local restaurants and on-campus dining. Mentor families eat as a “family” and create a healthy dinner atmosphere for the youth.

Pro-Social Activities and Therapy/5:30-7 p.m.

Each week our mentors lead and participate in a different activity for the youth. These activities are meant to be pro-social and encourage positive recreation and interactions between everyone involved. Activities change week to week because the mentors take turns facilitating activities for the youth, in the past activities have included a variety of sports, cooking, arts and crafts, music, and dancing.

UW STUDENT INVOLVEMENT