MESA Student Resources

STUDY GROUPS

Study Groups are designed to encourage peer teaching, peer involvement and collaborative learning. Study Groups are hosted weekly and led by a MESA tutor. Who runs the workshops? Workshops are in the most cases run by other students, creating an all peer environment, which is focused on academic success. Are the workshops for remedial work? No, although levels of material are covered, workshops are designed to build confidence AND challenge students. All levels of students can benefit from the workshops.

TUTORING: Spring 2026

MESA at Valencia located in Aliso Lab (ALLB) 114 – in person tutoring**

MESA at Canyon Country in room 323 inside TLC room 315 – in person tutoring**

MESA Skills Labs

The primary goal of MESA Skills Labs (MSL) is to help students build confidence in their chosen STEM major. Recognizing that STEM fields can be rigorous, MSL provides a supportive environment where students actively engage with concepts through hands-on learning. By working on projects, students see how classroom knowledge applies to real-world situations, increasing motivation and persistence.

The program also emphasizes leadership development. Students organize sessions, manage timelines, promote events, and collaborate in teams. Student leaders prepare and teach weekly labs, then reflect with coordinators to improve. MSL is committed to helping students succeed at College of the Canyons and transfer successfully.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE WORKSHOPS (AEW)

Academic Excellence Workshops are a positive group learning experience that allows students an opportunity to work together to achieve a high level of content mastery. What makes Academic Excellence Workshops unique is that trained facilitators, in consultation with faculty, lead weekly skill-building workshops that parallel material covered in class. Students who participate in workshops benefit in several ways. Data shows that they are more successful in the selected course. Workshop participants achieve higher grades than students that did not participate in workshops. They learn to work with other students to successfully solve problems and gain confidence to succeed in academically rigorous courses. (See AEW FAQs below for more information and AEW schedule) 

AEW FAQs

What is Academic Excellence Workshop (A.E.W.)?

Academic Excellence Workshops are a positive group learning environment that allows students an opportunity to work together to achieve a high level of academic success. Workshops focus on advanced group-learning techniques for technical subject mastery.

How often do the workshops meet?

The workshops typically meet two times a week, for 1.5 hours per meeting.

What type of material is covered in the workshop?

Material covered in the workshop will parallel material covered in the designated course. The material to be covered is presented in a fun, creative, and challenging environment. The material covered is not assigned homework, rather additional problems which students work together to solve.

What advantage do the workshops offer students?

Students who participate in workshops benefit in several ways. First, they are usually more successful in the selected course. Statistically, they achieve higher grades then if they did not participate in workshops. Second, they learn to work with other students to successfully solve problems. This ability to work with other students teaches students how to use their resources, rely on each other, and ultimately gain confidence to take on more difficult courses. And last, students have FUN while learning, hopefully meeting new friends who share their desire to succeed academically.

Who runs the workshops?

Workshops are in the most cases run by other students, creating an all peer environment, which is focused on academic success.

Are the workshops for remedial work?

No, although levels of material are covered, workshops are designed to build confidence AND challenge students. All levels of students can benefit from the workshops.