University of Maryland Partners with RADical Hope

University of Maryland and RADical Hope have partnered up to offer RADical Health through the school’s Carillon Communities and College Park Scholars, a one-year living-learning program for first-year students. This fall, 31 students will serve as RADical Health peer guides for more than 360 students in the school’s Carillon Communities.

“In Fall 2023, with support from Warren Kelley in the Division of Student Affairs, Carillon Communities piloted RADical Health for about fifty students.  Feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and students credited the program with helping them to acclimate to college, gain greater self-awareness and empathy for others, and find their purpose in life,” said Abigail McEwen, an associate professor of art history who leads Carillon’s Art and Activism community. “RADical Health completely aligns with our mission to create a supportive and inclusive living-learning community for first-year students.  This year, we decided to integrate the program into our 1-credit Studio course and, in that way, to underscore the centrality of well-being to students’ academic, personal, and professional success.  More than 350 Carillon students, supported by 31 Peer Guides, will participate in RADical Health this fall.”

“By integrating RADical Health into their IDEA101 course, the Carillon Community at University of Maryland has signaled to their students their commitment to student well-being,” shared MacKenzie Kelly, RADical Hope Program Director. “We are thrilled to see how the program has resonated with students and contributed to their growth, both personally and academically. Our goal is to provide students with the tools they need to strengthen connections and navigate college life with confidence, empathy, and a strong sense of purpose. We look forward to seeing how this expanded partnership will continue to enrich the lives of Carillon students this year and beyond.”

RADical Hope’s four-week program, RADical Health, was developed with behavioral health specialists, adolescent psychologists, academic leaders and input from students across the country. It was first piloted in the fall of 2020 with New York University and after several successful pilots, the organization scaled the program nationally. Today, RADical Hope now works with more than 60 campuses across the country and has supported tens of thousands of students.

To reduce barriers to adoption and to ensure equal access to the program, RADical Hope fully funds all costs associated with its implementation for every partner.