Frosh Project ID

Program Summary

Frosh is a mentoring program for 986 new students at two state universities in the Bandung area, namely the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) and the Indonesia University of Education (UPI).

Program Objective

Frosh aims to help new students learn socio-emotional skills using creative, technology-based learning media. It prioritizes two 21st-century skills: critical thinking and empathy.

Program Background

Frosh began with the experiences of two friends, Elfreda and Catherina. Initially, Elfreda lacked critical thinking skills, leading her to accept misinformation and engage in stereotyping. Catherina, on the other hand, valued diversity but faced empathy challenges from peers. These experiences mirrored those of many young people, prompting PeaceGen to conduct a 2019 survey revealing significant campus life pressures. Thus, the Frosh program was seen as necessary to support new students facing these pressures.

Program Details

Frosh Project ID 2.0 was implemented at ITB and UPI in 2022. First-year students participated as mentees, while second—and third-year students served as mentors. Frosh 2.0 aimed to support first-year students by imparting socio-emotional skills for positive interactions. These skills were deemed crucial for building resilience against violent extremism.

In execution, PeaceGen and the universities collaborated closely to design learning processes and methods. Frosh was developed as a pilot project aligned with the Ministry of Education's priorities. Mentoring utilized web-based modules gamified to convey four messages: Understanding Identity Diversity, Emotional Management, Information Management, and Creative Problem Solving.

Program Implementation

By the end of 2022, Frosh have 1,000 beneficiaries at ITB and UPI. Frosh 2.0 trained 84 student mentors across various faculties to support 986 new students from both universities, an increase from Frosh 1.0's 431 mentees.

Mentoring was conducted in groups, with each mentor guiding 10-15 mentees. Frosh 2.0 mentoring occurred in three batches, with varying group sizes, conducted entirely online or in hybrid formats.

Program Team

The Frosh program team included:

• Lindawati Sumpena (Learning Coordinator)

• Azhar Muhammad Akbar (Learning Officer)

• Jeremia Bonifasius Manurung (Learning Officer)

• Anisa Eka, Elfreda Haura Fawwaz, Rike Adelia Hermawan (Learning Assistants)

Program Timeline

Mentoring took place from March to September 2022, divided into three batches, and was conducted in varying online and offline formats.

Recent Program Activities

Elfreda and Catherina, inspired by their experiences, became Frosh mentors. Elfreda learned to listen and discern information wisely, while Catherina gained confidence in expressing her perspectives.

Challenges and Interesting Events

Challenges included student participation reluctance, ineffective online promotion, and partial mentoring interest. However, collaboration, cross-campus mentoring, and engaging activities emerged as positives.

Project Results

Feedback from mentees and satisfaction surveys indicated high satisfaction and perceived benefits from Frosh. The program successfully achieved its goals and received positive feedback from participants.

Conclusion

Frosh highlights the importance of mentoring for critical thinking and empathy among new students. PeaceGen offers support for adopting Frosh's learning methods. Contact us at [email protected] for more information!