The Illinois College of Optometry is the largest optometry college in the USA, and one of the world’s leading optometric institutions. ICO prioritises student wellbeing and has launched peer-to-peer support platform TalkCampus, to provide students with access to a global community for instant support.
TalkCampus is joining the College’s comprehensive student wellbeing offering, which currently includes counselling, academic coaching and advising. Peer support will help ICO reach students outside of their existing welfare framework, and ensure that there is support available for students outside of the institution's existing framework, any time of day.
“TalkCampus will be a unique benefit in part because of the platform and 24/7/365 access, but probably more importantly, that the students will interact with peers outside the ICO 'bubble'. The opportunity to connect with peers outside the campus and that the individual has other things in common with will be valuable to our students. The attention to safety and safeguarding, the static resources TalkCampus offers alongside the instantly accessible support 24/7, and TalkCampus’ excellent reputation is what was so appealing in building this partnership.”
TalkCampus offers instant ongoing support via a student's phone or computer, but also intelligently alerts students to additional options for help; all embedded within the app. A combination of peer support, machine-learning and innovative design, TalkCampus offers a community of support for academic anxieties, isolation and life’s ups and downs while also providing social connection with like-minded people, in a non-judgmental environment.
“It’s fantastic to see the commitment from institutions to student mental health through providing a diverse support program. We know that peer support can really help students to cope and feel more hopeful about the future when they know they are not alone and that other people understand and share their experiences. Having a safe community where students can come together to share their mental health journey can be a very powerful tool for building resilience, and we are extremely excited to welcome ICO students to TalkCampus. - Jennifer Russell, Clinical Director at TalkCampus.
TalkCampus is a 24/7 global peer support network for students. Supporting over 500,000 students worldwide with real time moderation and escalation. If you would like to explore how TalkCampus can support your students we’d love to hear from you. Book a Demo - talkcampus.io/