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“This program has helped me learn in ways that my other courses have not. The experiences I have had and friendships I have gained are some of the most valuable pieces of my undergraduate experience at the University of Arizona. Blue Chip exposed me to the many different facets of leadership. Going through the weekly challenges with my first year team was a lot of fun and at that point I did not realize all of the team building skills I was developing.” —Norbet Rwamunkunyu, 2019
Have questions? Contact us! Email: bluechip@email.arizona.edu Phone Number: 520-621-1370 bluechip.arizona.edu
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WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? To us, leadership is not a specific position or job role. It's a process that involves important skills, like problem-solving, teamwork, and communication that, when put together, help you make a difference—in your own life, in the lives of others, and in the community as a whole. In Blue Chip Leadership Experience we'll help you develop these skills and more. You'll learn about leadership styles and approaches to leadership and apply what you've learned in hands-on, interactive activities. Through Blue Chip, you'll develop as a person and as a professional. You will feel prepared as you move into the workplace (or graduate school), confident in who you are as a leader and in your leadership skills and it'll show - in your resume, cover letters, and in how you talk about your experiences in an interview. If you're interested in finding out the ways in which you can make a difference, we invite you to join Blue Chip Leadership Experience. Blue Chip offers four years of leadership development experiences, with each year expanding and strengthening your skill sets through new challenges. In Blue Chip you can expect to: • Build in-demand skills through hands-on courses and events. • Support your community through short-term service projects. • Grow a network of peers and staff to help you develop as a professional and make campus connections. • Learn about yourself and how you can make a difference. • Be challenged to grow and gain new perspectives.
START MAKING A DIFFERENCE TODAY.
WAYS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE THROUGH BLUE CHIP LEADERSHIP FIND SUPPORT Meet other Arizona Wildcats who are interested in meeting new people, getting involved, and making a difference.
PREPARE AS A PROFESSIONAL
Work with career professionals to keep your resume updated while working on your elevator pitch and interviewing skills.
BUILD IN-DEMAND SKILLS
LEARN THROUGH SERVICE
Develop and build important skills like teamwork, communication, and problem-solving while working in teams in fun and engaging events.
Connect with your campus and the wider Tucson community through service-learning projects.
Diversity
THE FIRST YEAR EXPERIENCE FALL SEMESTER Time Commitment 2 - 3 Hours per week
SPRING SEMESTER Time Commitment 2 - 3 Hours per week
1-CREDIT HYBRID COURSE: TOPICS IN LEADERSHIP
1-CREDIT LEADERSHIP & COMMUNITY ENGAGED LEARNING INTERNSHIP
Explore the layers of leadership and learn about yourself through a leadership lens, and jump-start your professional development and connect to career resources.
This internship experience focuses on service learning and community engagement and its importance to leadership development. You will work alongside your team to complete a small scale service project over the course of the semester and reflect on the impact you have on the community you are serving.
What to Expect in this course: • Weekly online content (approx 1 hour of work) • Weekly 1-hour in-person team meetings guided by a peer mentor • Complete a Strengths Assessment • Begin building your resume Participate in interactive skill building events: Escape Room - Put your skills to the test by collaborating with your team to solve puzzles and riddles to “escape” the room in the fastest time. Blue Sync - Challenge your comfort zone and your skills by creating a music video with your team. Engage in teamwork, communication, planning, project management, and creativity while having fun. United Way Days of Caring - Learn more about and support the local community through a service learning experience while reflecting on why service is an important component of leadership. Make connections with a community partner for Spring Internship
What the internship experience consist of: • Weekly 1-hour team meetings guided by a peer mentor • Online content to help scope your internship and service project • Add to your Resume • Learn how to connect your experiences to in-demand skills and represent those experiences and skills on a resume. Participate in interactive skill building spring events: Field Day - Bring your team spirit! Work together, problem solve, be creative, and communicate effectively to successfully complete a variety of outdoor activities. Theater Sports - Participate in a night of improvisation games. Connect with others, expand your comfort zones, and your creativity skills.
THE TRANSFER EXPERIENCE FALL SEMESTER Time Commitment 3 - 5 Hours per week
SPRING SEMESTER Time Commitment 3 - 5 Hours per week
2-CREDIT HYBRID COURSE: DESIGN THINKING FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
COMPETE IN A DESIGN THINKING CHALLENGE (8-WEEK LONG CHALLENGE)
Apply your leadership skills to create social change and make a difference on a community level. Learn about design thinking by engaging in the 5-step process and utilizing it as a tool for social change.
Apply your leadership skills by participating in the design thinking challenge. Work in a small group to address a current and real world issue experienced by a local community partner.
This course is very interactive and hands-on with opportunities to develop your communication, creativity, problem solving, and teamwork skills. What to Expect in this course: • Weekly online content (1 hour of work) • Attend class in-person (1 hour, 15 minutes/week) • Complete group work • Attend a leadership workshop • Work with a community partner to solve a real world problem using design thinking
You and your team will utilize design thinking to research, ideate, think critically, problem solve, and propose an approach to address the problem in a presentation to the community partner. Participate in service events and reflect on the importance of engaging in service to support you through the design thinking process. The teams chosen by the community partner will implement their idea. This experience is very hands-on and is an opportunity for students to gain valuable leadership skills like project management, public speaking, crafting a professional proposal, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and collaboration.
"Blue Chip helped to prepare me for success in the world outside of college. I learned valuable communication skills that have set me apart from my peers, I learned how to navigate complex situations and how to position myself as a leader in my career path. The program also helped me to overcome my fear of public speaking, my anxiety around building a network of friends, and my overall apprehension about moving so far for college. Post graduation, I am now working as the Director of Digital Media for a publicly traded pharmaceutical company, and Blue Chip played a key role in getting me to where I am. The skills and lessons I learned in the program have given me a competitive edge in the workforce, and I'm in an influential leadership role at a very young age compared to my peers." —Elizabeth Nickerson, 2019
HOW TO JOIN - NEXT STEPS Step 1: Complete online Enrollment Form available at bluechip.arizona.edu Step 2: Visit us at orientation to learn more and select a course time • After orientation, we will add the course to your class schedule • Contact us if you don’t visit us at orientation Step 3: Check your University email for updates and important information Step 4: Attend Opening Event (held the Sunday before classes start) Step 5: Program starts first week of classes
“I wanted to tell you again how instrumental Blue Chip has been in my college career, my experiences, and my developed ability to push myself toward great things. Blue Chip was the reason I have had the tenacity and strength to pursue opportunities that undoubtedly led to my acceptance to MIT to get my PhD in Chemistry. Especially as a first-gen/low-income student, college was so daunting and scary to me and I can’t overstate how much Blue Chip impacted me.” —Christa Imrich, 2020
"I would say Blue Chip has helped me become a better leader overall. It also helped me learn to work with a team and utilize everyone's different strengths and skills for the better of the team. If you want to get involved on campus, join Blue Chip to experience working with a great group of people and helping make the Tucson community a better place!" —Steven Paul Saldana, 2025
"Blue Chip helped me grow as an individual and professional. It really pushed me to apply for medical programs and finally get into pharmacy school. It helped build a network of people that were all there to help me succeed and achieve my goals. Above anything else, it helped me build relationships that were there when I really needed it." —Marcus Aguello, 2017
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