Brite Labs

Catalyzing student connectedness and a sense of belonging is the key to increasing student retention. Brite Lab’s team of black belts is leveraging micro-learning and engagement technology they first developed for employee and patient engagement and applying it to college students. The goal is to enable provosts, deans, and faculty to increase student engagement and decrease the alarming and unsustainable rate of dropouts and transfers. WHO’S BRITE LABS? Brite Labs is an educational technology company born from decades of experience at colleges and universities and most recently at the University of Pittsburgh and at the Carnegie Mellon Corporate Startup Lab. During the first few weeks of class, the founders noticed that it was not unusual for most students to come into the large lecture halls alone. By mid-semester many came in smiling in pairs and small groups, but many still came in alone. In fact, we counted and 55% never connected with anyone. The seed for Brite Labs was spawned. WHAT’S BRITE LABS? The Brite Labs Connectedness co-curriculum was created using solid behavioral science that indicates loneliness is a root cause of students not connecting and eventually dropping out or transferring. As you know, the pandemic and varied personas of Gen Z’s have created a massive cohort unlike any prior generation. While universities provide ample opportunities for students to network and connect, most undergraduates do not know how to network or build relationships. Furthermore, research indicates most universities do not teach networking and relationship building in their outside-the-classroom curriculums. Brite Labs is focused on filling that competency void. WHAT’S THE UNIVERSITY LONELINESS COLLABORATIVE? The collaborative is a new informal learning group of university leaders. faculty and staff focused on better understanding how to increase student well-being and the connection between undergraduate student retention and the loneliness-belonging paradigm