“ProjectConnect melts away the timidness and inhibition often felt when meeting new people. Every time I participated in a group, I left with fewer barriers and stronger connections between myself and the other members.”
—Brandt, participant
Read More“My time as a ProjectConnect Facilitator is no doubt among some of my most cherished, fulfilling memories of my college career. To have a dedicated time and space for deep, personal conversations with people whom I would never have encountered otherwise is truly an unprecedented opportunity for growth and connection.”
—Lynn, student facilitator
Read More“We implemented ProjectConnect in the spring of 2021, when our campus was operating virtually. Students really appreciated this opportunity to meet new people - whether it was new students looking to make friends, or returning students looking to expand their existing friend circles. ProjectConnect is the total package - it's simple and effective, easy to implement and scale, and accessible at a great price point.”
—Leah Berkenwald
Director of Health Promotion and Wellness Initiatives Brandeis University
“Mount Holyoke College is a vibrant and diverse community and yet, some students really struggle to make connections with their peers. ProjectConnect offered the perfect opportunity to build community and foster a sense of belonging among our students. 90% of our participants said that they would recommend ProjectConnect to a friend and all ten of our co-facilitators expressed a desire to facilitate another group in the future.”
—Erica Weathers,
Clinical Social Works and Outreach Coordinator, Mt Holyoke College
“Project Connect is a helpful framework for making space for connection in the workplace. The program takes away the need for community members or leaders having to figure out conversation starters or an inclusive group structure on their own. The program is flexible enough to adapt to our specific needs and has been well worth the investment of time, energy and money.”
—Kris Mereigh, Director of Wellbeing, Corporate law firm
Read More"I found ProjectConnect to be a great way for students to meet and bond with other students. After each session, I felt a stronger connection with the group, and in turn, with my community. I highly recommend ProjectConnect to anyone who is looking to foster deeper connections within their community!"
—Veronica, student facilitator
Read More"As a facilitator, I loved participating in ProjectConnect! Over the course of a month and a half we established a tight-knit group of dorm residents that really became a great support community. The potential for ProjectConnect is huge: it aims to fix the communication gap in today's world between people from vastly different backgrounds, and ultimately make the world a better place. I was glad to have played a small role as facilitator for the program and hope the magic of ProjectConnect continues.”
—Nate, student facilitator
Read More“Joining ProjectConnect was a really good way for me to come out of my comfort zone and open up to new people. ProjectConnect has helped me to express myself more freely and has allowed me to get to know myself better.”
—Nizaya, participant
“Participating in ProjectConnect was hugely helpful for my morale and motivation. As someone who is very efficiency-oriented, I don’t always prioritize making new connections. However, as a member of a ProjectConnect group, I met some excellent new colleagues, learned a lot about colleagues I’ve known for years, and felt authentically connected with all of them. I enjoyed ProjectConnect so much that I’ve recently become a facilitator myself!”
—Adam Ortiz
Read More“I loved being able to check in with the same group each week and start to build up meaningful relationships. By the middle of our sessions I felt really comfortable talking about things I don't usually talk about, which was really refreshing. If enough students participate, this has the potential to change the social culture on campus.”
—Student participant
“This was an extremely valuable experience. I was able to share in community with people I wouldn’t usually encounter. I learned to be open and vulnerable with people who I don’t know well, and it made me want to be more open with people I do know.”
—Student participant
“It was a wonderful experience. I loved meeting new people and learning new perspectives! It nourished my outlook and my spirit.”
—Kathy Whittemore
Read More“Fantastic program that truly helps individuals and organizations build interpersonal skills and comradery in any group. As the CEO of Valley ENT, I have seen huge benefits from implementing this program. I can't speak highly enough about our experience. The support and care from the ProjectConnect staff as we implemented the program was superb. The program is clear and easily adaptable to specific organization needs.
In society today, so much attention is paid to mental health issues, yet few programs actually address ways to tackle the problems. ProjectConnect gets at the underlying problem and provides a simple and effective plan for decreasing isolation and increasing positive interactions leading to better office culture, employee satisfaction, and less turnover. This has been our organizations experience. Whether your organization needs a lot of help or your group is strong and looking for ways to make relationships stronger—this is the program is a great fit!”
—Geoff Howard
CEO Valley ENT
"I struggled a lot with connection at my first college, and ProjectConnect was so meaningful to me. Not only did it allow me to connect with the other students in groups I was facilitating, I became close with the other facilitators. I've seen the good ProjectConnect can do and felt it myself. All that to say, thank you! This program helped me during a hard time. ProjectConnect rocks!”
—Stella, student facilitator
Read More“ProjectConnect was such a great experience to engage with colleagues in a meaningful way, which felt like a great growth opportunity. As a result of this program, I have more practice with authenticity in interactions and will carry that skill into other professional and personal relationships.”
—Scott Howard
Associate Dean of Students, Amherst College
“ProjectConnect is a powerful way for campuses to offer students an opportunity for belonging and to protect mental health at the student and population level. Sometimes I've explained the program as a "friendship lab," giving students the opportunity, so rarely afforded, to try out friendship and authentic connection in a supportive space!”
—Madeline Hope
Director, Health and Wellness Education at Middlebury College
“There's something about the open and deep life conversations that I don't see often on campus. It wasn't until ProjectConnect came around that I saw these types of conversations coming into fruition and it was surprising that it was also happening with people that I was meeting for the first time.”
—Student participant
“After the pandemic we knew we needed to prioritize staff connection and hired Jessica to provide ProjectConnect Facilitator Certification Training. The feedback from ProjectConnect group participants has been overwhelmingly and unequivocally positive. Every single participant said they would recommend the program to a friend and noted benefits such as getting to know colleagues beyond the day-to-day and giving and receiving support. Next year we plan to expand ProjectConnect to the entire Bowdoin College staff/faculty community.”
—Katie Toro-Ferrari
Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Director of Student Life, Bowdoin College
“ProjectConnect provides opportunities to ALL students (and staff, in some cases) to build relationships with others, through active listening, respectful communication, and compassion. These opportunities can be few and far between for many people. The experience ProjectConnect offers, of feeling seen, heard, and valued is critical to our social, emotional, mental, and physical well-being.”
—Jane Lizotte
Assistant Superintendent for Community Partnerships and Well-Being at Shrewsbury Public Schools
“It was great to listen, learn, and get to know others. I was able to find shared interests, values, and perspectives and learn from those who are very different from me. I appreciated stepping out of my comfort zone and collectively creating space for vulnerability and authenticity.”
—Lauren Kelly
