费用: Our students affirm the value of a liberal arts experience that broadens their horizons, 加深他们的洞察力, and develops their capacity to identify and pursue their passions. 事实上, they want us to go further and find new ways to help them integrate the various parts of their CC experience and connect their college experience to their lives after graduation. By leveraging the CC network and experience, we can help students transition to careers and their post-CC lives.

发生了什么: In January 2014, the college launched the 动态半块, which introduced non-credit courses aimed at better preparing students with the academic, 专业, and practical skills needed to transition to life after college. These new courses, coordinated by the 职业中心, were in addition to the credit-bearing courses that have been offered since 1992. But Half Block has not been just for students. 校友, CC 父母, staff, and other external experts have taught courses along with CC faculty.

2020年1月, two CC 父母 came to campus to teach two different classes that would benefit students now and in their lives after graduation. 在其中一节课上, 学生学习设计思维, the human-centered design methodology pioneered by IDEO and Stanford d.学校创始人大卫·凯利说. Toddi拉, CC大三学生的父母, 设计思维战略家, spent five days with the students tackling the challenge question, "How might we transform students' relationships with food to radically reduce food waste at 科罗拉多大学?下课的时候, the students presented their prototypes to members of the CC administration for possible pilot projects. "Life is about learning and that means learning skills that are beyond the books. I believe giving students these lifelong skills in a setting where they aren't graded or credited gives them useful capabilities that will make them more adaptable and marketable in the real world" says Gutner.

"I have been teaching at the graduate school level for the past 15 years, 但这一次很特别, not only because I engaged with college students for the first time, 但更重要的是, I got an inside view into the college where my son attends,古特纳说。. “作为父母, we get a very superficial view of what our children are experiencing and of the feel of the 社区 and mission of the school. While immersed in the Half-Block experience, I received an 'insider's view' of the uniqueness of the CC curriculum, 社区, 和老师. I know my son has changed tremendously during his time at CC but now I better understand why and how those changes have come about."

The other class taught by a CC parent was Brand New You: Personal Branding, 由梅丽尔·霍兰德教授, 个人品牌专家. 在本课程中, students created a personal brand profile that helped them define who they are and why they matter in an increasingly competitive and specialized world. 学生 developed a variety of tools to tell their story. They built a backstory that became their LinkedIn summary and personal "elevator" pitch. They created their own personality profile and brand essence, a summary of their unique personal values and experiences. Lastly, they translated this work into resume and cover-letter content, and a LinkedIn profile. 学生 also came away with networking skills, interview practices and other aspects of personal communication in business to ensure their success in the marketplace of opportunity.

"I believe they were able to do the work because of the daily rigor they ALL employed, 因为他们真的很喜欢. I've gathered their individual quotes from some of the surveys and from their emails and my time spent with them, of course - and I know it was as profound and rewarding for them to dig deeply inside of themselves, as my passion to help them to get there.霍兰德说.

These were only two of the 21 non-credit Half Block courses taught in January. The course offerings change each year and provide students with free opportunities to capitalize on their Winter Break. 在9天的时间里, students can explore unique courses and offerings that will challenge them to grow valuable habits of intellect, 想象力, 和职业精神. Half Block is also an opportunity for alumni, 父母, and other experts to engage with students in a meaningful way that is a win-win for everyone involved. The 职业中心 continues to seek out these unique opportunities to create lasting connections.