Kansas State University has become a notable community for the successful implementation of ‘Cats Connect (see this blog story from Project Connect, the organization behind K-State’s program), and that is thanks to collaboration, partnerships, and flexibility to ensure all Wildcats have access.
Have you tried ‘Cats Connect? With two opportunities each semester, it’s possible to find time to make it work for you.
‘Cats Connect is a peer-to-peer facilitated program designed to help groups of 4-7 Wildcats meet and develop friendships outside of their regular social circles. Groups meet for one hour for five consecutive weeks. During each meeting, everyone will have the opportunity to respond to a series of fun and thought-provoking questions and engage in a small connection project.
Students, faculty, and staff are all invited to participate. Groups are built based on availability. Participants can select in-person (on the Manhattan campus) or virtual meetings (via Zoom).
As a Health Promoting University, K-State supports the holistic well-being of students, faculty, and staff. Social well-being—the ability to form meaningful, supportive relationships—is a key aspect of health. Over the past two years, ‘Cats Connect has strengthened mental and social well-being by connecting over 1,000 K-Staters. These relationships help protect against stress, anxiety, and depression while also boosting student satisfaction, retention, and faculty/staff engagement.
Session two will meet weekly beginning the week of March 31, through the week of April 28. Registrations for session two are due by Tuesday, March 25, at this link.
Below are the available sessions. If you are not available during any of these sessions, there is a space on the registration form to submit your availability.
- Undergraduate Students
- Mondays from 4-5 p.m.
- Tuesdays from 5-6 p.m.
- Wednesdays from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
- Thursdays from 4-5 p.m.
- Graduate Students
- Mondays from 5-6 p.m.
- Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m.
- Wednesdays from 12-1 p.m.
- Thursdays from 12-1 p.m.
- Faculty/Staff
- Mondays from 5-6 p.m.
- Tuesdays from 4-5 p.m.
- Wednesdays from 12-1 p.m.
- Thursdays from 12-1 p.m.
Each group will be led by a facilitator, who is also a member of the group. They take a leadership role to help the group work through the activities. If you would be interested in serving as a facilitator for a small group, sign up here.
All facilitators will receive ‘Cats Connect training. Training sessions will take place in room 218 of the Leadership Studies Building on these dates:
- Monday, March 24 from 3:30-5 p.m.
- Tuesday, March 25 from 9-10:30 a.m.
The Morrison Family Center for Student Well-being and the Staley School of Leadership teamed up to bring ‘Cats Connect to the K-State community. For questions, email Austin Drake at adrake329@ksu.edu.
Here is what some Wildcats said after participating in ‘Cats Connect:
- “‘Cats Connect is a small group so it’s not just you being completely exposed to a bunch of new people, just a small group of people.”
- “It was really good to meet people with different majors and different backgrounds and branch out of my normal group.”
- “I gained new confidence in talking with new people – and, it was a lot of fun!”
- “Meeting people with varying personalities who are going through similar situations that I am in was really reassuring and helped me feel more connected to K-State.”
Learn more and sign up to participate on the ‘Cats Connect website.
