113. Scale-up connection: key takeaways from a case study
I’m excited to share something a little different for today’s blog post … a case study of how a college has used ProjectConnect to help 1000+ participants connect! You may find inspiration for building connection in your workplace or other settings too.
If you work at a college, have a child in college, or attend a college, then you know that students are struggling with mental health. But some colleges have worked hard to create a healthier campus culture. The Princeton Review just released their 2025 Top 25 Colleges with the Happiest Students.
The number one thing that makes students—and the rest of us—happy, is having good relationships. So, I was thrilled to see that four ProjectConnect campuses were on the ‘Happiest Students” list. I’m sure these campuses are doing A LOT to support student well-being. One of those things is offering ProjectConnect groups to help students make friends and strengthen their social networks.
Kansas State University (KSU) came in at #2 on the list and I’m going to share in more detail some of the amazing work they’re doing with ProjectConnect. But first, a big shout to the other ProjectConnect campuses that made the list: Williams, Bowdoin, and the University of Dayton. Congratulations!
Check out KSU’s promotional video! NOTE: they call the program ‘Cats Connect because they already had a similarly named program on campus.
KSU Case Study
KSU started ProjectConnect with a big vision and an ambitious goal of offering multiple groups year-round to reach as many people as possible. And they’ve made it happen!
In the past 3 years KSU has held over 180 ProjectConnect groups and more than 1,100 students, staff, and faculty have gone through the program! That’s a huge accomplishment!
Here are a few highlights and take-aways that have made the program successful:
The program is a cross-campus collaboration spearheaded by Tamara Bauer, in the School of Leadership, and Jenneen LeMay, in the Center for Student Well-Being, with the support of a graduate student, Austin Drake. Having clearly defined oversight, dedicated time and support are essential to a rollout of this scale.
ProjectConnect partners with several departments, groups, and organizations across campus, including HR, Admissions, Academic Advisors, and the College of Engineering. Partnerships increase referrals, engagement, and campus-wide support.
KSU offers virtual groups over the summer to incoming students. ProjectConnect partners with Admissions each summer, so that students can sign up for groups and make friends with other students before they even step foot on campus. Facilitators are trained Orientation Leaders (paid positions). About 150 students have taken advantage of this each summer. Incoming students have a high level of interest in making friends, and participating in a group can help ease their transition to college.
“I loved getting to meet new people and share our experiences and some of the things I am worried about when it comes to the shift to college.”
“Meeting all the incredible people and being able to grow closer to them before getting on campus was an incredible experience, and one I will certainly take with me.”
KSU offers two cohorts of groups every semester, one in the first half and one in the second half of the semester. They offer both in-person and virtual groups, for undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff. Facilitators are volunteers with an interest in building student and employeeconnection. Training a large pool of facilitators means you can offer a large number of groups.
KSU has embedded ProjectConnect into existing programs, including a student leadership program, and the McNair Scholars, a program that helps students prepare for graduate school. Students participate in a ProjectConnect group as part of their program requirements and build relationships with other students in the program. Embedding ProjectConnect into existing programs has been a highly successful strategy on many campuses.
Assessment data shows that participating in ProjectConnect significantly increased "perspective taking," a skill essential to empathy. Austin Drake undertook a small study of two ProjectConnect groups (10 participants) as part of his Master’s Degree culminating project. He used pre- and post-surveys to assess the impact of participation on promoting interpersonal skills. Several other campuses have also done assessments, showing a decrease in loneliness, an increase in connection skills and social and academic confidence.
95% of the 1100+ ProjectConnect participants say they feel more connected to the campus community as a result of the program.
“I developed stronger communication skills and a better ability to listen to what other people have to say.”
“The most enjoyable thing about ProjectConnect is the opportunity to learn more about other K-Staters. I felt connected with my group, which has improved my sense of belonging within the community.”
You can look at KSU’s ProjectConnect webpage to see what their outreach and registration looks like (note that they call it ‘Cats Connect due to another program having a similar name).
How to do this on your campus or in your workplace.
If you want to replicate KSU’s success and help connect hundreds—or even thousands—of people at your college, workplace, or organization, here’s how:
Become a certified ProjectConnect Facilitator. If you’re already a facilitator, skip to #2. If not, one or more people from your organization need to complete Facilitator Certification Training, by hosting a training specifically for your organization, or by attending a virtual training (offered in May and August). Optional, but recommended: facilitate a ProjectConnect group to get familiar with the program before training others.
Purchase Train-the-Trainer licensing so that you can train an unlimited number of facilitators within your organization. More facilitators = more groups!
Offer ProjectConnect groups and connect participants!
