The Social Capital Academy equips students in their junior year to find and engage professionals and future employers who see their life experiences, grit and determination as assets far more valuable than incremental differences in GPA. We created the Social Capital Academy to address this opportunity on a national scale.

Following is information for the ways mentors, corporations, universities, and donors can collaborate in support of this important initiative.

The SCA creates a venue for bringing two communities together – successful professionals dedicated to supporting underrepresented students in their transition from university to fulfilling careers, and students eager for the wisdom and professional knowledge that seasoned professionals can impart.

SCA’s success revolves around two important mentoring roles: Career Mentors who forge a bond with assigned students and support them with sustained, practical, career-oriented guidance over a three-month period. These Career Mentors meet with small groups of students in conversations and exercises designed by SCA. Career Experts, on the other hand, provide current, in-depth knowledge specific to their field of expertise, and assist students in exploring and solidifying their interest in various professional arenas.

This approach fosters meaningful conversations between students and professionals, rich with opportunity for learning and thoughtful exchange of knowledge and perspective.

Organizations that participate in the SCA provide immediate and essential support in addressing diversity and social inequality at scale and provide employees with hands-on leadership and community development experience. Connecting with students cultivates deep organizational capacities for recognizing, developing, and leading a broad base of talent. In addition, SCA mentors collaborate alongside a diverse community of high-performing peers from across the professional spectrum.

The SCA augments existing teaching and career-based programs with a well-developed program that elicits students’ stories and experience while leveraging networks of professionals sourced locally and from around the country. The program can cultivate and enliven the local business and alumni network with meaningful student engagement. The SCA will also host semi-annual gatherings for universities to share best practices. We welcome inquiries from universities from across the country, and from all disciplines.

The SCA invites donors to participate in funding multiple facets of the SCA program. Areas of support include, but are not limited to: financial support for student participation; program administrative expenses; leading-edge research that develops and measures underrepresented student success; and incentives to attract talented faculty to lead, develop and expand instructional content.

Meet Some of our Mentors

Meet the SCA Leadership Team