The IGNITE curriculum is intentionally designed to facilitate community-building among first year students with specific student learning outcomes and instructional scaffolding to meet those outcomes (see table below). This will be achieved through self-reflective journal prompts, personal assessments, videos and other multimedia, “think, pair, share” activities, small group work, and inviting students to integrate what they have learned into their day-to-day life.
IGNITE Fall Semester Curriculum Outline
| Session Theme | Overview |
| Session 1: Finding Your Spark | Students identify 1-2 interest/passion areas they would like to explore during their time at UNC Asheville and discuss their individual hopes and fears for their college experience. |
| Session 2: Identity – Who Am I? | Students express feelings around pivotal life experiences and create personal Wandering Maps that visually represent their understanding of self. |
| Session 3: Values Exploration | Students articulate their personal values and describe how those values align with their daily actions and behaviors. |
| Session 4: Inclusion and Belonging | Students explore key concepts related to diversity, equity, and belonging and reflect on how they can cultivate a culture of belongingness at UNC Asheville. |
| Session 5: Building Authentic Relationships | Students reflect on what characteristics define authentic relationships and what they want out of relationships during their time at UNC Asheville. |
| Session 6: Effective Communication | Students articulate effective communication as a process of understanding and shared meaning and apply effective communication skills through group scenarios. |
| Session 7: Learning from Failure | Students understand the difference between a fixed and growth mindset and start to remove the stigma from failure and mistakes. |
| Session 8: Skills and Interests | Students identify skills they want to gain and strengthen through opportunities during their time at UNC Asheville. |
| Session 9: Becoming a Change Agent | Students reflect on what they want their UNCA legacy to be and identify examples of campus resources to support them in the future. |