UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In the summer of 1995, Penn State piloted the Learning Edge Academic Program, or LEAP, to help new students make an easier summer transition to the University Park campus. Over the last 30 years, tens — possibly hundreds — of thousands of first-year students took summer classes together as a small group, received mentorship from a peer student leader and experienced on-campus life.
This year, 1,750 incoming students chose from 75 "prides" (the group that students take their summer courses with and live with), organized into eight learning communities, with support from 25 peer success coaches.
The program saw about a hundred students enrolled during the earlier years, with a handful of prides. With the help of numerous faculty, the academic colleges and University Libraries, the program continued to grow in popularity.
Though the core mission has remained the same, the approach has shifted over time to meet the changing needs of incoming students and the increase in participants. This summer saw the shift from mentorship to coaching within the peer role allowing peer leaders to focus on helping students identify and build the skills and habits they need to be successful college students.
LEAP has been shown to improve academic outcomes during the summer, according to data analyzed by the Office for Summer Session. Among summer admits in 2023, students enrolled in LEAP had an average GPA of .33 higher than those not enrolled in LEAP, and these gains are consistent across various demographics.
Kelly Griffith became director of the Penn State Chaiken Center for Student Success, housed in the Office of Undergraduate Education, in 2024 when it merged with the Office for Summer Session, and has worked with the LEAP program since 2017. She said staff are working to make LEAP an even more worthwhile and educational experience.
One change is that new students have access to a peer success coach instead of a mentor, reflecting the long-term goals of student skill-building. Peer success coaches live in the residence halls with LEAP enrollees and host nightly drop-in hours, which was informally done by LEAP mentors in the past, and weekly Meetups for Success.
“The staff at the Chaiken Center are focused on building students’ skills across nine key areas and incorporating the academic success coaching model into LEAP,” Griffith said. “The first few weeks on campus are a critical time when they are learning how to be college students and developing the habits and routines that they will set them up for success.”
“While LEAP is only during the summer, the Chaiken Center is here for students year-round,” Kayla Hood, student success advocate at the Chaiken Center for Student Success. “Students who had a peer success coach this summer can find the same sort of support through our office during the fall and spring semesters.”
About the Chaiken Center for Student Success in Undergraduate Education
Undergraduate Education’s Chaiken Center for Student Success is one of five student success centers named for Gene and Roz Chaiken, Penn State alumni and philanthropists. The center supports students across the entire University and targeted support to first-generation students.
The center is home to the Academic Success Coaching program, available to undergraduates at the University Park Campus. The program helps students develop skills such as time management, motivation, resource navigation, community and belonging and much more. Students meet with an academic success coach, each of whom has completed an intensive, 26-week training program accredited by the International Coaching Federation.