Dr. Sara Goldrick-Rab
“How the new majority of students attends and experiences higher education is poorly understood by the American public and constantly given short shrift by mainstream media,” said Goldrick-Rab. “Too many people characterize undergraduates and college life based on their own personal experiences and/or TV and movie depictions.”
To help mitigate this, Believe in Students developed The #RealCollege Curriculum masterclass, a four-course curriculum sponsored by the ECMC Foundation, Gates Foundation, Imaginable Futures, and Michelson 20MM.
“Recognizing that students face immediate challenges—such as food insecurity, mental health concerns, and financial instability, this initiative focuses on the vital connection between data and the personal stories behind it, enabling educators to engage with students on a deeper level,” said Dr. Pilar Huffman, director of professional development at Compton College and Believe in Students Curriculum Advisory Board Member.
The curriculum’s first course, “The Students We Have,” is currently available for free to colleges throughout the nation. In 2025, three additional courses, including one focused on supporting parenting students, will be added. Interested participants can expect narrative video content, data-informed best practices, reflection activities and self-assessments.
“It’s all structured around best practices for adult learners and [is] consumable in 5–10-minute increments," said Traci Kirtley, executive director at Believe in Students. “Leaders that want to make the course available institution-wide also have the option of offering it within their own learning management systems.”
