New project "Católica In! Innovate to Include" project promotes integration and academic success of Católica students

"Católica in! Innovate to Include", a joint project of the Braga and Porto Regional Centres of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, aims at the integration and academic success of first-year undergraduate students. One of the objectives is to attract students who can be Mentors of new students in the academic year 2023/24.

"This Católica In! initiative aims to enhance and reinforce the Peer Mentoring dynamics already underway at the University, bringing in new students and integrating more Academic Units", says Diana Soares, member of the coordination team of "Católica in! Innovate to Include" and lecturer at the Faculty of Education and Psychology (FEP) of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

Thus, "through the expansion of Peer Mentoring, it is intended to facilitate the integration, adaptation and academic success of new students, while promoting the development of skills of student mentors", adds Armanda Gonçalves, member of the project's coordination team and professor at the Faculty of Philosophy and Social Sciences (FFCS) of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa.

The strategy of "Católica in! Innovate to Include" strategy is to improve the monitoring of students at risk of failure and dropout through the implementation of 4 actions aimed at the development of Peer Mentoring and Tutoring by Teachers mechanisms, comprehensive training (360º) of students at risk, in conjunction with the various institutional measures.