Family and the First Generation College Student

Family and the First Generation College Student

The family and the first generation low-income student navigate the college experience with challenges unknown to students from upper- and middle-class backgrounds. Being the first in the family to go to college certainly opens new vistas and countless possibilities, but

Metacognition and Experience

Metacognition and Experience

Educational philosopher John Dewey believed that we actually learn more from thinking about our experiences than from the actual experiences themselves. This idea is not new. The practice of examining and reflecting on experiences, or metacognition, dates back to Socrates and

First Generation Student Study Abroad Scholarship

First Generation Student Study Abroad Scholarship

The opportunity to study abroad is no longer a luxury in the 21st century. Learning about the world first hand is a crucial component for success in our globalized world. Research shows that first generation college students in particular benefit

The Empathy Gap

From the halls of Congress to the halls of our local schools, people tend to interact only with those who are just like them. They rarely understand issues from other points of view because they rarely spend any time with

First Generation Alumni Mentoring

First Generation Alumni Mentoring

There is a huge untapped source of human capital that could revolutionize the support and mentoring that current first generation college students desperately want and need: first generation college student alumni. Colleges and universities are only beginning to realize the

First Generation Students Find Their Voice

First Generation Students Find Their Voice

This is a very exciting time to be a first generation college student! Today’s first gens are connecting, sharing ideas and advocating for themselves as a distinct group. In a three-part blog series on first generation students, I will explore

Design thinking exercises our creativity

Design thinking exercises our creativity

Entrepreneurs, students and community activists use design thinking to solve complex problems. And through its process of solving problems and conquering challenges, design thinking forces us to exercise our brains as creative thinkers and doers. A recent article in the

Finding solutions with visual thinking

Finding solutions with visual thinking

If you want to find unexpected solutions to complex problems, then you had better consider adding visual thinking to your problem solving repertoire. Visual thinking, the use and exploration of multi-dimensional images as tools for communication, understanding and creative problem

First Semester Crucial for First Gens

First Semester Crucial for First Gens

Making the transition from high school to college is challenging for just about every young person. But making the transition to college — especially surviving the first semester — is crucial for first generation students. What creative solutions can support

Playfulness, Courage, Agility and Love

Playfulness, Courage, Agility and Love

I am always on the lookout for examples of the creative process to inspire educational practices. And bingo (or slots in my case), I found it in Las Vegas at the Cirque du Soleil Michael Jackson ONE show. This breathtaking barrage