The Citizen Scholar program succeeds because of the community that is formed between students. During their first year, students take one or more classes with their Citizen Scholar peers, allowing them to form relationships with other students and develop a bond as a class.
But this year, especially for our first-year scholars, we were faced with the challenge of remote learning and all virtual events. How do you create the feeling of community when students are hundreds of miles apart and have not met any classmates?
With insight from our administrators and students, new virtual events were implemented. These events are called Citizen’s Comments, allowing students to come together for a student-facilitated conversation, giving them a social outlet while challenging them to think like a Citizen Scholar.
Last week, on October 13th, we held our first Citizen’s Comments. Ten students attended the event, from freshman to seniors. The topic of the meeting was “College So Far,” allowing students to reflect on what they were learning, how they were struggling, and what they were enjoying.
Scholars answered questions such as, “How are you doing?” and “How have you grown this semester?” Each student participated to their fullest, being vulnerable, respectful, and honest. It can be difficult to open up to people you have just met, but the atmosphere was welcoming, and everyone felt comfortable sharing with the group.
To ensure the comfortability of all students, the event began with the reading of the Citizen’s Comment’s Preamble:
Citizen’s Comments is a space for you. Maybe you’ve had a hard day and you need to share your story with those that will listen without judgment. It could be that you want to celebrate an accomplishment, or a goal met. In any case, this is why we gather. To encourage, to inspire, to listen, to challenge, to provoke growth, and to build relationship. We know that growth does not occur in isolation. So, welcome to Citizen’s Comments.
The conversation wasn’t all serious; however. In addition to talking about research projects and the struggles of learning a new language, the conversation also included how to upgrade your ramen and why to watch The Good Place.
Alia Jones, one of the student facilitators for the event, said, “The first Citizen’s Comments far exceeded my expectations! Everyone was open and vulnerable about their experiences and it truly made for such an impactful discussion … I feel so much more connected with my peers, and it feels great to know I have such a supportive network through the Citizen Scholars program.”
The first Citizen’s Comments was a successful event, and we appreciate our students’ effort and willingness to work on community-building even when it can’t look exactly how we would like it to. The next Citizen’s Comments is Tuesday, November 10th at 7 pm and will focus on mental health and self-care. We encourage all of our scholars to attend!