About DiscoverU

Learn more about Discover U here.

DiscoverU is centered around a model of "whole-person" health, in which our mental and physical health are interconnected.

DiscoverU Origins

DiscoverU was developed out of a partnership between the University of Minnesota and Columbia Heights Public Schools to address adolescent health needs. The initial development of the program and DiscoverU demonstration project was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Prevention Research Center Program (Cooperative Agreement Number U48DP006414; R. Sieving, PI). The projects findings and the content of this website are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

DiscoverU was named by a high school student, who described the afterschool program as a place to discover more about yourself and get tips on being healthy from college students.

DiscoverU is a mentoring afterschool program. Young adults (usually undergraduate college students) are trained to be role models to adolescents and engage in health-focused afterschool activities with them.

In DiscoverU, we emphasize the interconnectedness of all health areas. For example, we focus on finding fun ways of doing physical activity because it is good for both your mental and physical health.

Development of DiscoverU

DiscoverU integrated lessons from the LionsQuest social emotional learning curriculum into physical activity and nutrition activities. The table below provides examples of how social emotional learning areas were integrated into activities.

Initial Demonstration Project Findings

Acceptability

In our proof-of-concept trial, we demonstrated that the DiscoverU program was well-liked by adolescents, mentors, and school staff:

Adolescents particularly enjoyed spending time with mentors.
Mentors enjoyed developing relationships with adolescents and other mentors.
Mentors also appreciated how being a mentor in DiscoverU directly benefited them: It helped them identify and take next steps in their careers; it increased their interpersonal skills and skills working with youth; it broadened their perspectives; and it increased their awareness of their own health behaviors.
School staff felt that the program ran structurally really well and saw great value in how the mentors were able to connect with students.

Feasibility

We were successful at recruiting and retaining mentors that reflected the gender and racial and ethnic diversity of the adolescents served by the program.

A little over half of adolescents attended the program consistently. While this attendance rate is similar or better than other afterschool classes through the school, the inconsistent attendance means many students didn't get the full experience of the DiscoverU program and presents challenges to understanding whether DiscoverU helps improve adolescent health outcomes.