UReach Peer Mentor Program
New Program: Executive Functioning for Academic Success
College Skills for Students with Disabilities
Requirements:
Student must be an eligible CDA student and an undergraduate in their first, second, or third year.
Date/Time:
Asynchronous with individual weekly meetings with a Peer Mentor.
Commitment:
One semester, plus an optional second semester of accountability follow up if desired. The semester will consist of weekly assignments in an asynchronous Canvas program, as well as a weekly one-hour meeting with a Peer Mentor.
This program is expected to take approximately 2-3 hours per week.
Additional Information:
This program is free, but there are a limited number of spots open each semester. Students will be required to complete an application to show their interest and commitment. This program does not count towards any University course credit. It is a supplementary program only offered to students eligible at the Center for Disability and Access. Selected students will be notified of their acceptance 5 weeks prior to the start of the semester. They will be notified via university email and will have 2 weeks to confirm their spot.
Program Description:
This program is a structured, skills-based program designed for students who experience executive functioning challenges that impact academic performance. The program focuses on practical, transferable strategies for metacognition, planning, organization, time management, task initiation, attentional control, and working memory. This program emphasizes self-awareness, systems building, and consistent practice.
At the start of the semester, each student will complete the Executive Function Screening Tool via Canvas. They will then meet with their instructor, Shalyse, to review the results and gain foundational knowledge on where they can focus their efforts over the summer. This may be completed three weeks prior to the start of the semester but must be completed within the two weeks after the semester starts.
Each week during the semester, students will work through the modules in the Canvas program on their own time. They will learn what each executive functioning domain is, practice a self-assessment to build self-awareness, and then learn about strategies that can help them improve their skills in each area. After the first two weeks, students will be able to move through the modules of their choosing, focusing on which area of executive functioning they want to prioritize based on their screening tool results. They will also be required to meet weekly with a Peer Mentor to set goals, practice these strategies, and work on implementing them in their daily life. This will provide an accountability partner for the student throughout the semester. Students are also able to meet with the program instructors throughout the semester as needed.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this program, students will be able to:
- Identify and describe key executive functioning domains, including planning, organization, time management, task initiation, attentional control, working memory, and metacognition.
- Analyze their own executive functioning strengths and challenges using results from the Executive Function Screening Tool and ongoing self-assessment.
- Develop self-awareness of how executive functioning impacts their academic performance and daily life.
- Select and apply appropriate strategies to improve skills in targeted executive functioning areas.
- Create and implement personalized systems for planning, organization, and time management.
- Demonstrate improved task initiation and follow-through using learned strategies.
- Use attentional control techniques to sustain focus and reduce distractions during academic tasks.
- Apply working memory strategies to support learning, retention, and task completion.
- Set, monitor, and adjust goals in collaboration with a Peer Mentor to support ongoing skill development.
- Reflect on progress and strategy effectiveness, making adjustments to improve outcomes.
- Demonstrate increased independence in managing academic responsibilities through consistent use of executive functioning strategies.
