The Cardea Fellows Program has a formal partnership with the SAGE Program through which we coordinate our programming and collaboratively support students. The SAGE Program is a part of the Academic Resource Center (the ARC). Cardea Fellows are encouraged to take advantage of all resources offered by the ARC and to use the SAGE staff as their entry point to the ARC.
The SAGE Program: Science Advancement through Group Engagement
Research shows that students learn more when they cooperate and that groups are better at problem solving than their best members individually; therefore, Cardea Fellows will participate in the SAGE Program. SAGE provides an opportunity for students to enhance their course experience, build community, and develop scholarship and leadership skills. Students work in small groups facilitated by a peer educator and have access to additional ARC services, coordinated by a SAGE staff member, for a cohesive learning experience. Peer mentors participate in a multi-semester professional development curriculum. SAGE currently serves students in four Chemistry courses.
The SAGE Program is designed to:
- Create a supportive learning environment and build community
- Develop learning skills, course management skills, time management skills, and study strategies that will be transferable to your whole Duke experience
- Reinforce and deepen knowledge and science skills taught in the chemistry course sequence
- Develop students’ ability to work as a member of a diverse team to achieve common goals
- Establish peer relationships (friends and mentors) that may form the basis for a strong and lasting academic support network
- Increase accessibility for students to connect with and manage resources (mentors, tutors, technology, community events, faculty, etc.)
How can a learning community help me after Duke?
The benefits of peer facilitated learning will extend well beyond your course work at Duke. Most medical training programs use a problem-based learning model and students who are comfortable learning collaboratively are likely to adapt quickly to the medical school classroom. And later, as a practicing health care professional, you will collaborate with a team of health care providers — doctors, nurses, technicians and other health professionals — to provide safe and effective patient care. Whether in the classroom, the operating room, or a family medical practice, the ability to learn and function as a team is fundamental.