Peer mentor support is key to our program’s success and our students. Wolverines Elevated peer mentors are paid, part-time, student employee positions for current UVU students. Peer mentors support our Wolverines Elevated students outside of classes for up to 15 hours a week. Peer mentors provide academic and social support, help with organizational skills, time management, and lead study groups.
Mentor meetings are regularly occurring meetings, scheduled around both students’ and mentors’ class schedules and other meetings.
An I’mReady Meeting is the Wolverines Elevated Person Centered Planning process. It is a guide/check-in system to help determine a student’s progress in the certificate program and related courses. When students enter the program, they will complete their initial I’mReady meeting before the semester starts. After the initial meeting, I’mReady meetings are conducted at the end of every semester and are student-led. Incorporating the Star Method, the student is at the center of the conversation, determining what works and what doesn’t work. At the end of the I’mReady meetings, Program staff, in collaboration with the student, work together to determine that the student is making satisfactory academic progress.
Weekly, Program staff meet with each student in the program for a one-on-one, half-hour meeting. This allows the student and staff to connect and determine how the student is doing in the following areas: self-determination, career, academic enrichment (including mentor meetings), independent living skills, and campus and community engagement. These meetings allow for needed problem-solving collaboration and ongoing goal setting. In addition to these weekly check-ins, students participate in a mid-year check-up evaluation (around UVU midterms) and an end-of-semester evaluation through their I’mReady meeting.
Incoming Wolverines Elevated students participate in our innovative and supportive summer orientation. This orientation is a week long at the beginning of August. During the orientation, students will: (1) participate in UVU Jumpstart, (2) connect with resources on campus (e.g., library, writing center, career and internship center, accessibility services, wellness center, rock climbing, bowling, and more!), and (3) complete a campus scavenger hunt. The summer orientation serves as a “getting ready for college” prep opportunity.
