Beyond 12 Cohorts

Project Description

In partnership with IDEO and Beyond 12, we reimagined their students’ experiences by putting them in cohorts. We hoped that giving them small groups would make their transition easier and more empathetic.

Problem

Our stakeholders were interested in finding new ways to engage their students and empower them to make change at their respective colleges. Since their students were all first generation, they didn't have the family knowledge in support other students had. How might we level playing field for them?

Insights

Our research into the students we were designing for let us to understand the intricacies of the Community College experience for them. There were plenty of gaps that caused nearly 3/4 of them to drop out after their first year. They also lacked support groups to keep them accountable and knowledgeable, which would inevitably compound with curveballs that life throws at all of us.

Solutions

Our approach was focused on giving them small groups of peers that they could take advantage of for guidance and support. We would build on top of the traditional student-mentor approach that most programs similar to Beyond 12 took. This would help them feel more connected to a community of peers, encourage them to speak up about their needs and dreams, and reduce the burden on support staff so that they could focus on higher level goals for the students.