This course structure aims to immerse students in the process of developing an entrepreneurial mindset, providing them with the tools to think like entrepreneurs, whether they choose to start a business or innovate within other careers.
Services offered by industry coaches
DR. RUTH ANNETTE SMITH is a distinguished and internationally certified hospitality educator, entrepreneur, industry professional, and transformational leader dedicated to advancing innovative curriculum design, cutting-edge technology integration, and forwardthinking pedagogy. She is the Department Chair and Associate Professor of Hospitality Management at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, founder and owner of Creatively Yourz LLC, a hospitality consulting company, and the Director of Education for the International Council on Hotel Restaurant & Institutional Education (ICHRIE).
DR. JOHNNY LOWERY, Assistant Professor of Management and Interim Department Chair at Claflin University, has over 40 years of military and corporate experience. He holds a Ph.D. in Business Administration from Jackson State University and advocates for diversity through the PhD Project, the Academy of Management, and the Southern Management Association. Additionally, he serves as a Faculty Liaison for the Business Executive Exchange Program (BEEP) and is a PROPEL Center’s HBCU Faculty Fellow Academy (HFFA) member.
DR. YAW AMPONSAH ADOO is a distinguished management professional with over a decade of experience in collegiate instruction, innovative social entrepreneurship, digital organizational leadership, and professional development. His research focuses on employee motivation, well-being, and the impact of organizational change, with expertise in areas such as job insecurity, work-related stressors, and workplace spirituality.
Currently serving as the Chair of the Department of Business at Morris Brown College, Dr. Adoo has held key roles at Shorter University and the University of the Virgin Islands. In August 2024, he joined the Harvard Business Review’s Advisory Council, where he contributed valuable insights to shape management and leadership studies. His influence also extends to partnerships that foster curriculum development and cultural appreciation beyond academia.
Understanding and articulating your purpose can be the difference between good and great in the classroom, in the workplace, and in all areas of your life. We start with knowing your “why” so you can use it as a roadmap for the rest of the course and your professional life.
Discovering your superpowers requires you to think about how you perceive your strengths and how they have evolved and grown since matriculating to college. Reaching out to others who know you well while utilizing some career and strengths inventories will provide you with even more information about your superpowers so that you can compare how you perceive yourself, how others perceive you, and what you aspire to become.
Your Defining Moments We are each defined by our unique story, which is itself a compilation of defining moments throughout our lives. These defining moments inform our values, our aspirations, and our interests, and passions. Together we identify these stories and refine them so that we can highlight them in the job application process.
We each have a few core values that help us navigate decisions, act and react, and move through our careers. Articulating these core values is critical to presenting ourselves in our most authentic light.
Learn the technical process of writing a winning resume, including tips from Propel’s signature corporate partners. Then, make sure your resume reflects all the elements of your authentic self as articulated in modules 1 through 4.
Acing the interview requires knowing the company, the role, and your interviewers as well as or better than they know you. Learn how to effectively research and “game plan” your interview so that you are prepared for success.
Learn the widely taught STAR interview strategy and prepare replies that will ensure your interview responses reflect your most authentic self and everything that you have to offer.
Learn how to navigate professional spaces and colleagues in a professional context while staying true to your values and your most authentic self. This will help you not only succeed in the interview process but also thrive in your internship and the beginning stages of your career.
In this final module, you will bring it all together to establish your vision and goals for your professional internship experience or first job out of college.
Propel Learn is a signature learning and credentialing platform designed specifically for students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). It offers comprehensive, experiential, and innovative learning experiences in cutting-edge fields such as Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, Swift Coding, Arts and Entertainment, Cybersecurity, Clean Energy, Career Readiness, Leadership, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The platform is co-developed by industry experts, top HBCU faculty, and notable workforce collaborators from around the world, and all courses and micro-credential programs are reviewed and certified by industry giants such as Apple, Southern Company, and other top industry partners. Propel Learn's micro-credentialing system is designed to help students progress at their own pace, with badges and certificates that denote their level of achievement. Students can also receive ongoing support and resources to enhance their learning experience and support their professional development.
Propel’s Innovation and Design model combines cutting-edge research, learning science principles, instructional design, and tech-enhanced tools to create effective and engaging learning experiences. Our research focuses on workforce and industry credentials to ensure our courses are relevant and up-to-date. We incorporate learning science principles to promote effective learning for neurodiverse and ethnically diverse groups. Our instructional design principles organize learning experiences in a structured, learner-centered way. Lastly, we leverage tech-enhanced tools, such as our virtual learning platform Honor Learn, to promote the success of both faculty and students.
Learning science is the study of how people learn and how to improve the process of learning. It draws upon research from cognitive psychology, neuroscience, educational psychology, and other related fields to inform the design of effective learning experiences.
Instructional design is the process of creating educational or training materials and experiences in a systematic and efficient manner. It involves analyzing learners' needs, defining learning objectives, designing and developing instructional content, and evaluating the effectiveness of the instructional materials.
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Certificate courses
8-week hands-on course for students to learn core programming concepts, app design, and online engagement.
Learn about Black experience in media and create professional content with iPhones and multimedia software through this Propel course.
AI's exponential growth in popularity and utility makes it necessary to learn. This course will introduce the technology and its significance.