FREE Webinar: Facilitating Student Friendships to Improve Mental Health
June 25th, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. EST - 1:00 p.m. EST | Complimentary
Learn how friendships support student mental health and explore strategies to reduce loneliness and increase connectedness on campus.
When connection is left to chance, it can take years. ProjectConnect builds it in hours.
Overview
According to the National College Health Assessment, half of students are lonely. You probably see the impact this has every day on student mental health, belonging, and retention. The good news is that helping students develop even one close relationship can make a huge difference! When you connect, you protect.
In this webinar, you’ll learn practical, research-backed strategies to facilitate friendships—that you can apply immediately. Research shows that it takes students an average of 119 hours spent together to become close friends on their own. But what if they could build those friendships in only 6 hours (1/20th of the time)—with intentional, structured opportunities? They can. Many campuses have demonstrated that building student connection isn’t only possible, it’s much easier than you might think.
Learn about guided conversation and activities that work. No forced mingling, trying to figure out who to talk to or what to say. The results decreased loneliness and jumpstarted new friendships, stronger relationships and an increased sense of connectedness and belonging. The faciltator will then introduce ProjectConnect, which provides a repeatable model for building real connection quickly, and its founder will share tips and strategies you can implement with students (and staff).
You will:
Understand how loneliness—and connection—directly impact student mental health, belonging, and retention.
Learn the “Friendship Formula”— the key ingredients that create meaningful connection.
See how these principles are applied in ProjectConnect, an evidence-based small group program that builds friendship in just 6 sessions.
Who Should Attend?
This program is ideal for staff, faculty, student leaders and peer leaders charged with or looking to promote belonging and connection on campus. These positions will benefit from the course:
* Orientation supervisors and student orientation leaders
* Academic advisors and peer advisors
* Student success professionals
* Counseling and health promotion professionals and peer educators
* Residential life professionals and RAs
* Peer mentors and student leaders
* Faculty who want to integrate student belonging strategies in and outside of the classroom
* Campus HR professionals
More Upcoming Training
ProjectConnect Facilitator Certification Training
Career Advising Basics Certificate Course
Next Cohort Begins June, 2026 | 10-Hour Virtual Course
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Academic Coaching Basics Certificate Course
Next Cohort July 2026 | 8-Hour Virtual Course
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Finding Common Ground: Managing Disagreement with Professionalism in Student Support Settings
Complimentary Webinar | June 18th, 2026 | 12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m. EST
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The Psychology of Academic Advising: Coaching, Cognition and Motivational Strategies
July 14th | 12:00 p.m. EST - 1:15 p.m. EST
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Supporting Students Through Academic and Personal Crises
95% of participants would recommend ProjectConnect strategies to a friend or colleague.
More importantly, participants reduce loneliness, build relationships, and feel more connected to their campus/workplace.
FACILITATOR
Jessica Gifford, LICSW, ProjectConnect Founder, Chief Connection Officer
Jessica is a social worker, turned connection expert and entrepreneur. She helps individuals and organizations build stronger relationships. Her work is based on the premise that developing 5 fulfilling friendships is the antidote to loneliness. However, because there are so many challenges to making friends as an adult, Jessica created the ProjectConnect program to make the process easier and more fun. ProjectConnect provides a step-by-step roadmap for creating connection in small groups.
Jessica has worked with over 100 organizations—from colleges to corporations to community centers—and trained more than 750 ProjectConnect group facilitators. Thousands of participants—from 12 to 92 years old—have gone through ProjectConnect groups, reduced loneliness, and built connection.
Questions?
If you have questions or need support registering for this training, please email info@eduology.org.