In 2011, Miami Dade College (MDC) was one of nine community colleges selected by Campus Compact to participate in Connect2Complete (C2C), a national pilot program intended to increase retention and persistence rates among low-income, underprepared students through course-based peer-to-peer advocacy and peer-assisted service-learning. This article describes the context and the great need for this type of program at MDC, the C2C program that we developed, its particular emphasis on social engagement, lessons learned, and recommended next steps. MDC built its C2C model on a new, credit-bearing Leadership Seminar for peer advocates (PAs). PAs were subsequently matched with C2C target-population students, who had tested into two or more developmental education courses and were enrolled in a required student-life-skills course.

Preparing Peer Advocates through Credit-Bearing Leadership Courses: A Miami Dade College Perspective is a report of the lessons from C2C in Miami Dade College.