Title: Standing in the Gap: Using a Justice-Centered Approach to Meet Essential Needs and Help Students Thrive
Presenter(s):
Brian Watkins (he/him)
Chamika Ellis (she/her)
Rocio Fregoso-Mota (she/her/ella)
Yanira Pacheco Ortiz (she/her/ella)
Keyla Whitaker (she/her)
Room: Charles Carroll 2203K
Session Block(s): Session I
Time: 10:25 a.m. to 11:25 a.m.
Duration: 60 minutes
Program Abstract:
Grounded in a justice-centered philosophy, this session explores how the Thrive Center team at the University of Maryland “stands in the gap” by meeting students’ essential needs in ways that honor dignity and confront systemic inequities. Through practical examples and student-centered narratives, we illustrate how holistic support can shift outcomes and expand opportunity. Attendees will gain insight on ways to strengthen campus ecosystems that enable every student to thrive.
Program Description:
Students cannot thrive in college when their basic needs go unmet, yet many are left to put together pieces of a complicated puzzle in order to navigate through systems that were not built with them in mind. This session examines how the Thrive Center at the University of Maryland frames essential needs work through a justice-centered and trauma-informed lens—one that prioritizes dignity, equity, and system-level change. Participants will learn how the staff in the Center “stand in the gap” with students navigating homelessness, food insecurity, financial strain, and other barriers that disproportionately impact historically marginalized groups.
Through student narratives, case examples, and institutional data, we will demonstrate how holistic, relationship-based practices can transform both individual outcomes and broader campus culture. The session highlights several key components of the new Thrive Center, including: centering a trauma-informed approach in working with students; integrating essential needs support with academic success initiatives; designing practices and policies that remove barriers instead of creating them; and leveraging cross-campus partnerships to build a more responsive ecosystem.
This program offers a roadmap for transforming essential-needs work into equity-driven practice. Attendees will gain practical strategies for strengthening their own institutional infrastructure by developing partnerships across campus, creating coordinated-care pathways, implementing trauma-informed communication practices, and advocating for necessary resources. In addition, we will explore how staff can use their roles to challenge harmful narratives about poverty and shift campus conversations toward shared responsibility and belonging. Participants will leave with concrete ideas for creating campus environments where all students, especially those most impacted by systemic inequity, have the support and opportunity necessary to thrive.