Description
Connected Futures is a four-session, evidence-based course that equips students with practical strategies for expanding their professional networks and building long-term social capital. Through interactive exercises and real-world activities, mentees learn how to overcome barriers to networking, communicate effectively with potential mentors, and cultivate diverse webs of personal, academic, and professional support.
Developed through a partnership between the Center for Evidence-Based Mentoring and Professor Elizabeth Raposa (Fordham University), this training is grounded in decades of research on mentoring and social capital development. Rigorous evaluations have demonstrated the effectiveness of Connected Futures in improving student GPA, increasing help-seeking behaviors, and strengthening social capital (Schwartz et al., 2023; Raposa et al., 2024).
Sample Skills Gained:
- Building and maintaining professional networks
- Overcoming barriers to effective networking
- Communicating confidently with potential mentors
- Expanding social capital to support academic and career success
Evidence Base:
Raposa, E. et al. (2024). Findings on social capital interventions and mentoring outcomes.
Schwartz, S., Parnes, M., Browne, R., Austin, L., Carreiro, M., Rhodes, J., Kupersmidt, J., & Kanchewa, S. (2023). Teaching to Fish: Impacts of a Social Capital Intervention for College Students. American Educational Research Journal, 1–37.
