The Hope Circles Program is a mentoring program that helps students realize a better
future through Positive Academic Mindset Training, and networking opportunties, including workplace internships.
The mission of the Hope Circles program is to increase the percentage of minority high school graduates who enroll in college while preparing them to be successful during school.
The Hope Circles Program aims to help students build success-oriented habits that teach them to believe in their ability to persevere through obstacles and accomplish their dreams.
I used to be a very negative thinker in middle school. If I had been in this program when I was younger, I would have understood how important it was to think positively and plan out my life and my studies. I wouldn’t have been so anxious.
Caira Blevins, high school student in Dr. Dixson’s program
A hopeful outlook can start a positive feedback loop between students’ beliefs and behaviors that leads to higher student success.
Higher hope is associated with a host of positive academic outcomes including higher academic engagement, curiosity, academic achievement, and happiness within the school context. It is also associated with a lower risk of negative outcomes, including anxiety and depression.
Looking toward the future with positive expectations is a powerful force on the present.
Against a backdrop of political strife and tense race relations in the United States, minority students don’t always receive the hopeful messages they need to envision a brighter future. Our program strives to give them the academic mindset they need to be more hopeful toward the future, making them positive change agents in their schools and communities.
