Supporting Kessler Scholars’ Leadership Development and Engagement Kessler Scholars Collaborative | Community Conversation Thursday, September 17, 2026
September 2026 Community Conversation
Agenda ● Welcome and Check-in ● Agenda Overview ● Collaborative Cross-site Events ● Student Engagement and Leadership Development ● Student Advisory Boards ● Breakout Room Discussions ● Action Items
#FirstGenFirstYear Centre College Peer Mentors
Collaborative Activities
Welcoming and Connecting Scholars Across the Collaborative ●
#FirstGenFirstYear Campaign
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September 30: Kessler Scholars Opportunity Showcase
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October 22: Student Advisory Board Exchange
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October 23: Bloomberg Philanthropies Summer Internship Information Session
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November 7-9: First-Gen Summit
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December 4: Aspen Institute Summer Internship Information Session
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TBD: Summer Research Opportunity Program (SROP)
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Kessler Scholars Collaborative Student Leadership Board Meetings ○
September 22, October 14, and November 12
Personal Reflection
Please Respond to the Following Zoom Poll:
What is the primary function of the Kessler Scholars Student Advisory Board on your campus?
Kessler Scholars Advisory Board
The Kessler Scholars Student Advisory Board was created to provide space for Scholars to contribute to the development of the Kessler Scholars Program on their campus, help plan student-led events, and offer insight and feedback about the FGLI student experience. Through regular engagement they can also develop their professional skills and gain experience to pursue new leadership roles on campus or in their communities.
Student Advisory Board Structures
Different Structures, Shared Opportunities for Leadership Board size vary in size depending on the structure, goals, and student interest. Most boards includes 5-7 student leaders and a few programs have larger boards of 15-17 students.
Frequency of meetings with program staff serving as advisors occur bi-weekly most often, but a few programs meet more or less frequently.
In most instances the Kessler Scholars Collaborative Student Leadership representative serves on the student advisory board.
The selection process varies with most programs allowing an easy onramp to board participation, but a few programs include an application, interview, or have a GPA requirement.
Kessler Scholars Student Leadership
Unique Elements and Roles to Support Student Leadership Development and Engagement Designed ongoing training to encourage reflection, goal setting, and identity development through the following activities: ●
Complete personality inventories
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Develop the agenda and lead bi-weekly meetings
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Support Scholar recruitment and selection
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Designated historian, social media, or cohort leader roles
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Assist with town halls and welcome events
Kessler Scholars are well represented in leadership roles across campus.
Student Leadership Frameworks
The Social Change Ecosystem ●
Created in 2017 by Deepa Iyer of the Building Movement Project
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Used by nonprofits, schools, and other community networks
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By engaging with the framework: ○
Individuals tap into their values and identify the roles they play to support their communities
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Groups reflect on their collective power and strengths
Student Leadership Frameworks
What Roles Do You Play? Weavers see the lines of connectivity between people, places, and ideas.
Caregivers nurture the people around them by creating a community of care, joy, and connection.
Storytellers craft and share community stories, experiences, and histories.
Builders develop, organize, and implement ideas and resources in service of a collective vision.
Visionaries imagine and generate possibilities, hopes, and dreams, and remind us of our direction.
… or you might be an Experimenter, Frontline Responder, Healer, Disrupter, or Guide.
Our roles stem from and support our core values . Every role is essential, but no one is working alone , and no one has to do it all themself. Roles can shift , and we might hold different roles in different ecosystems.
Student Leadership Frameworks
Optionally:
Activity #1: Leading as an Individual
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Pair this with a values sort → core values go at the center of the map
Reflect → pair → share ●
Think about the communities you’re part of. What Social Change Ecosystem role(s) do you play most often? ○
What’s an example?
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Why do you gravitate toward that role?
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How might you bring your strengths as a [Role] to the Student Advisory Board?
Leadership mottos ●
“I am a [Role] who ___________________.” Ex: “I am a Weaver who helps newcomers feel welcome.”
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Turn the motto into a relaxed art project
Student Leadership Frameworks
Activity #2: Leading as a Board Fill in the center What are our values as an Advisory Board? What feelings or outcomes do we want to create for our fellow Kessler Scholars? Add names next to roles Everyone adds their name next to a role they enjoy or want to explore as a way to activate those values. Reflect and discuss ●
What do you notice? Does anything surprise you?
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Are some roles more represented than others? What does this mean for our work as a board?
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Consider a specific event or initiative we’re planning. How can each role contribute to its success?
Our Core Values
Student Leadership Frameworks
Community Cultural Wealth (Yosso, 2005) 1. 2.
Aspirational: The capacity to “maintain
Social: The capacity to leverage
hopes and dreams.”
connection to communities or networks
Linguistic: The capacity to communicate
for access, support, and benefits.
effectively and intentionally across 3.
4.
5.
Navigational: The capacity to maneuver
audiences.
through social institutions and balancing
Familial: The capacity to draw upon
“individual agency within institution
shared “history, memory, and cultural
constraints.”
intuition” through committed relationships with others.
6.
Resistance: The capacity to withstand oppositional behavior and forces.
Framework Application
First-Gen Student Advisory Board and Subcommittees Navigational Committee ●
Informing the first-gen community about college policies, resources, “hidden curriculum” (through messaging, workshops, etc.).
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Advocating for the needs of first-gen community in college policy development and decision-making.
Aspirational Committee ●
Empowering first-gen community & building a sense of pride in the first-gen identity (through programming, messaging, etc.).
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Connecting first-gen community to resources, networks, and opportunities that advance students’ success.
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Highlighting their achievements and strengths.
Social Committee ●
Strengthening connections for first-gen students within the Kessler Scholars Program and the Bates community.
Framework Application
Collaboration with Counseling and Psychology Services Benefits and Roles ● Social: Bringing together first-gen students and staff. ● Familial: Connection to home practices and culture. ● Resistance: Discussion focused on wellness and self-care. ● Aspirational: Connecting students with resources to support their success through college.
Framework Application
Collaboration with College Aspirations Program ● Initiative for First-Year Kessler Scholars ● Introduced to Yosso’s Model during Pre-Orientation ○
Map their own strengths and assets
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Map their community capital and assets
● Learn about the Lewiston-Auburn community ● Engage in Aspirations Programs ○
Aspiration Days
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School Visits
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Mentorship
Concluding Reflections
Yosso’s Community Cultural Wealth Model ●
Asset-based lens for student empowerment
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Accessible point of engagement, connection, and reflection
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Guides students engagement with others
Let’s Connect: ●
mbeltranguzman@bates.edu
Personal Reflection
Please Respond to the Following Zoom Poll:
What leadership skills are most developed through participation in Kessler Scholars Student Advisory Board?
Personal Reflection
Please Respond to the Following Zoom Poll:
What leadership skills are least developed through participation in Kessler Scholars Student Advisory Board?
Large Group Discussions
Community of Practice Takeaways: Learning and Sharing Together Respond to one of the following discussion prompts: ● How might you integrate ongoing leadership development practices into work with the student advisory board? ● What is one change or new approach you would like to implement with the student advisory board?
Share Your Feedback
Toward Continuous Improvement We welcome your feedback! ●
We are trying a new way to capture your feedback about today's meeting in real time.
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Feel free to turn off your camera and respond to these three prompts via Zoom poll.
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All answers are anonymous.
We hope you are enjoying a smooth and successful start to the 2026-2027 academic year, and we can’t wait to hear more about how you incorporate ideas from this meeting to support Kessler Scholars’ leadership development and engagement!
Kessler Scholars and Alumni LinkedIn Group
#MakeYourMarkMonday ●
Campaign to highlight impactful, funded undergraduate research programs, internships, fellowships, and other career development opportunities.
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Share information with Kessler Scholars and encourage them to apply.
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Opportunities span a wide range of career fields and locations.
Looking Ahead
Upcoming Activities and Reminders ● Submit student’s itinerary for
● Check out the campus partner hub
First-Gen Summit - due 9/28
updates and include your photo.
● Share names and emails for
● Promote upcoming cross-site events.
student advisory board
● Continue exploring examples of
members - due 9/30
Ripple Effect Mapping on you
● Update your Team Implementation Spreadsheet due 9/30
campus.
Kessler Scholars Collaborative 200 S. 1st Street, Suite 227 Ann Arbor, MI 48104 info@kesslerscholars.org 734.600.0360