UniVenture
ONE SIZE DOESN'T FIT ALL
UniVenture Study
UniVenture is a five-year, multi-site study that includes undergraduate students at five representatively diverse Canadian university sites. The study is designed to deliver specialized workshops that help students learn and develop useful skills and set long-term goals. Undergraduate students can participate at any one of our Canadian university sites including Dalhousie, St. Francis Xavier, Montreal, York, and British Columbia Okanagan.
Who Can Participate?
The study is an exclusive offer to 1st and 2nd-year undergraduate students to develop useful skills for managing challenging situations in the transition to university. These would include academic struggles, emotional distress, substance-related abuse and more.
The objective is for our participants to learn how to set long-term goals and channel their unique personalities toward achieving those goals.
Undergraduate students at any of the following universities in their 1st or 2nd-year between 18 and 25 years of age are eligible to participate:
University of British Columbia Okanagan
How Does It Work?
Stage 1 consists of a baseline campus wellness survey to gather information about studentsʼ experiences with COVID, academic success and mental wellbeing. This information will be used to develop and strengthen campus resources and to identify students who are eligible to participate in Stage 2.
In Stage 2 students will have the opportunity to participate in the customized UniVenture workshops based on their personality type. These workshops are either face-to-face or online consisting of 8-12 participants, 90 minutes long, and led by a clinically trained researcher. Students who consent will be randomized into a workshop or a usual services comparison group. Participants will then complete a 6-month and 12-month follow-up survey to gather the same information as the baseline survey.
Eligibility for Stage 2 is determined by which students score higher than average on a scale that measures four aspects of personality: anxiety sensitivity, negative thinking, impulsivity, and sensation seeking.
Why Is This Important?
Participation in this study is extremely valuable and will assist researchers in evaluating the success the UniVenture Study has on studentsʼ academic achievement, mental health and reducing substance-related harm.
UniVenture may have a dramatic effect on university policies by helping partners appreciate the effectiveness of a targeted and personalized program. A successful program for at-risk students will also profoundly impact their academic performance and goal achievement, as well as their lives beyond university.
Will I Be Compensated?
Participants can choose to receive a $20 Amazon gift card or credit towards research participation for completing Stage 1.
In Stage 2, eligible students will have the opportunity to earn an additional $55 in Amazon gift cards or credit towards research participation.
Participants who complete both stages of the study will be entered into a bonus draw to win a $100 Amazon gift card at the end of the study.