CARDS EXCEL

Engage in conceptualization, application and entrepreneurship, examples include:

• Business Plan Competitions

• Hackathons

• Industry Projects

• Senior Capstone Course Projects (CUE Course Project)

• Academic Student Competition Teams

Seek adventure by engaging with the global community, examples include:

• Study Abroad

• International Service Learning Program (ISLP)

• International Internships

• International Co-ops

• International Research Experiences

Improve lives through research, creativity and discovery, examples include:

• Visual & Performing Arts

• Creative Humanities

• Mentored Research Experience

• Intensive Summer Research Experiences

Hone career and leadership skills to apply to future career endeavors, examples include:

• Co-ops & Internships (general part-time and full-time jobs are not considered unless directly related to a student's major/minor or career focus areas)

• Practicums

• Field Experiences

• Student Teaching

• Student Organization Leadership

• Clinical Experiences

• Student Government Position

• Greek Life Leadership 

• REACH Peer Tutor or Academic Coach

• ROTC

• UofL (D1) Student Athlete 

Serve your local and global community through community engagement opportunities, examples include:

• Service Learning

• K-12 Outreach

Submit the CARDS EXCEL application through InfoReady during the semester that you are graduating

May 2025 graduates: Submit reflections and application by April 29, 2025.

The benefits of taking the time to reflect on engaged learning experiences include:

• Links academic knowledge to real world experiences through transfer of learning
• Challenges students to assign meaning to their engaged learning experiences
• Understand and be able to communicate specific skills and experiences which can be useful for resumes, applications, and interviews for jobs and further educational opportunities

Reflection is a critical component of engaged learning, linking your experience to learning outcomes, enhancing your academic understanding and increasing awareness of how your work impacts the community. 

Students will be asked to provide detailed responses to the following reflection questions:

1. Provide a clear and detailed description of your participation, activities, and responsibilities in the engaged learning experience.
2. Describe in detail how you were able to apply, or make relevant, the knowledge, skills, or concepts you learned in your coursework as part of the engaged learning experience, and what new skills or knowledge did you gain?
3. Provide at least one relevant example to show how this engaged learning experience required you to analyze and/or evaluate information or situation in new ways.
4. Describe in detail how the assumptions and perceptions you had about the community, culture, environment, or workplace were challenge or affirmed by your engaged learning experience.
5. How has participating in this engaged learning experience advanced your future academic and/or professional goals? Describe how this experience helped deepen your understanding of yourself, including your passions, interests, and values.

CARDS EXCEL reflection responses should include these elements in order to meet or exceed the CARDS EXCEL application requirements.

Coming soon!

Coming soon!

Coming soon!

Engaged Learning Experience: REACH Tutor

Question #1 - Provide a clear and detailed description of your participation, activities, and responsibilities in this engaged learning experience.

Working as a REACH peer tutor for microbiology lab and lecture (BIOL 257 & 258) I have several responsibilities which included teaching effective study strategies and time management techniques, to result in enhanced academic performance, and to encourage students to continue to develop as independent learners. I built strong rapport with students, fostered a positive learning environment, and boosted their confidence in Microbiology. I also dedicated 5+ hours every week to guide students through problem-solving exercises and cultivate critical thinking skills. Lastly, I Provided academic support for up to 5 students in small groups.

Question #2 - Describe in detail how you were able to apply, or make relevant, the knowledge, skills or concepts you learned in your coursework as part of this engaged learning experience. Additionally, share at least two new skills that you gained.

In my microbiology lecture and lab, I learned many effective study strategies in which helped the students I taught enhance their performance in microbiology. One study strategy that helped many students was learning objectives/outcomes. These learning objectives/outcomes were topics posted by the professor of the course in which students had the opportunity to go back and fill in each concept and topic covered to create a study guide for each exam or quiz. I enjoyed going over each learning objective with the students I tutored, and it helped them gain insight and knowledge to enhance their learning skills to improve in microbiology.

Question #3 - Provide at least one relevant example of how this engaged learning experience required you to analyze and/or evaluate information or situations in new ways.

Through this engaged learning experience, I was able to analyze several difficult concepts and topics students struggled with in Microbiology to effectively implement study habits and strategies to follow. By training for my REACH tutor position, I was able to gain insight on how to handle difficult topics, how to engage with my peers, and how to work as a group leader in group study sessions to successfully teach a challenging topic to my students. By gaining feedback and advice from previous tutors and staff working at REACH, I was able to enhance my learning skills and evaluate information to create study guides for my students. Each study guide consisted of learning objectives over different topics that I would implement during out tutor sessions, and this study strategy will act as a guide for any challenging topics taught during lecture and lab.

Question #4 - Describe in detail how the assumptions and perceptions you had about the community, culture, environment, or workplace were challenged or affirmed by this engaged learning experience.

Before becoming a REACH tutor, I assumed that every student I tutored would come prepared with challenging topics and concepts they wanted me to guide them through, but in some instances, I had to adapt and walk them through concepts without a guide present. Through this, I was able to quickly adapt and enhance my learning skills to effectively make use of the time I had to teach them material by preparing study guides and topics I can easily walk my peers through. Another assumption I had working as a REACH tutor was that tutoring is mostly beneficial to the peers I am teaching, but I was able to deepen my understanding of material in Microbiology through teaching another individual. This helped me prepare me for several other healthcare courses I needed to take to apply for Physician Assistant school.

Question #5 - Describe in depth how participating in this engaged learning experience advanced your future academic and/or professional goals? Describe how this experience helped deepen your understanding of yourself, including your passions, interests, and values.

Participating in this engaged learning experience advanced my future and professional goals. This is because, through teaching my peers challenging topics, it helped me retain and deepen my understanding of concepts taught in Microbiology, in which I was able to apply my insight in several different prerequisites courses I needed to take, including cellular and molecular biology. Also, through implementing study strategies for my peers, I was able to implement the same study strategies for myself in other courses I took, which helped me excel in the challenging courses I was taking. By excelling in my courses, it helped prepare me for a Physician Assistant (PA) school and the study load I will encounter once I start my master's degree.

Coming soon!

Coming soon!

Coming soon!