1. CONNECT2COMPLETE
Connecting Peer-to-Peer Advocates & Community Service
to improve College Completion
BACKGROUND & PROGRAM OVERVIEW
There is increasing demand for a highly educated workforce, yet less than 30
percent of community college students in Ohio graduate within six years. For
low-income and traditionally underserved students, the six-year completion
rate is less than 15 percent. Economic and employment conditions, coupled
with a new state and national focus on increasing completion rates and closing
the achievement gap require new strategies and efforts to positively impact
student retention and persistence.
Connect2Complete (C2C) is a program of Campus Compact with funding
from The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that began as a pilot in Ohio,
Florida and Washington. Ohio Campus Compact has recently received support
from the Corporation for
National and Community Service
to place up to twelve
AmeriCorps VISTA members on
campuses throughout Ohio to
expand C2C to both four-year
public and private institutions of
higher education, and other Ohio
community colleges. Ohio
Campus Compact together with
eleven Ohio colleges and
universities are working to
improve student success and
retention of low-income and underrepresented college students through the
development of a program that matches student peer advocates with cohorts
of Pell Grant-eligible students enrolled in developmental education courses.
631 N. Pearl Street
Granville, Ohio 43023
(740) 587-8568
(740) 587-8569 FAX
www.ohiocampuscompact.org
AmeriCorps VISTA members will assist with training peer advocates to
connect C2C students with available campus resources, involve them in
community engagement activities, and provide vital academic and peer support
for navigating and succeeding in the college environment. Campuses with
VISTA support in Ohio will provide comprehensive leadership training to peer
advocates, closely track the progress of C2C students, and help align support
services across multiple campus offices. Ohio Campus Compact provides
assistance, training and resources to support C2C campuses and sustains a
statewide learning community to disseminate best practices, research and
other materials related to the C2C program and similarly structured peer
advocate programs. This powerful C2C program is developing innovative
peer-based pathways for academic success that can lead to college credentials
and living wage jobs as well as lay the foundation for long-term systemic change
in Ohio.

2. OHIO CONNECT2COMPLETE AT A GLANCE
2013-2014 PARTICIPATING INSTITUTIONS
Clark State Community College
Columbus State Community College
Cuyahoga Community College**
Hiram College
Kent State University
Lorain County Community College**
Marietta College
Miami University - Hamilton
Owens Community College**
University of Akron
Washington State Community College
(** are pilot campuses)
IMPLEMENTATION MODELS
The participating campuses are implementing unique peer-to-peer advocacy models that reflect the
culture of their campus while employing at least one of the following mechanisms to incentivize
participation by peer advocates:
A) Federal work study funds
B) Course credit for a leadership development/peer advocate training course, or
C) Course credit and an AmeriCorps Education Award
PEER ADVOCACY
Mobilizing successful students in support of other students who face obstacles to completion, increases
retention and engagement for both the student advocate and the mentee (Crisp, 2010).
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Students who participate in community engagement learning activities have higher retention rates and are
more likely to complete their degree. These students are also more likely to demonstrate improved
academic knowledge, critical thinking, and leadership skills, and show increased interest in becoming
personally and professionally involved in community change work. The ultimate result is producing
critically, civically, and globally minded graduates who can advocate for change in their communities and
contribute to building a healthy democracy (Campus Compact, 2010).
STATEWIDE LEARNING COMMUNITY
As part of this initiative, Ohio Campus Compact is building a statewide learning community to share
information, resources and research related to programs that pair peer advocates and community
engagement activities. Ohio Campus Compact offers state and regional events for VISTAs, college
faculty, administrators, students and peer advocates interested in and/or involved with retention and
success initiatives that incorporate mentoring and community service activities.
TIME PERIOD
The pilot phase of the Connect2Complete program supported by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
began January 1, 2012 and ends June 30, 2014. Ohio Campus Compact began placing AmeriCorps VISTA
members on campuses in July 2013. The Corporation for National and Community Service will provide
AmeriCorps VISTA support for three years.
Crisp, Gloria. “The impacts of Mentoring on the Success of Community College Students.” The Review of Higher Education.
34.1 (2010_: 39-60.)