Revamping educational methodologies and programming to incorporate a variety of perspectives is crucial for catering to a diverse range of learners. This article presents the development of an inclusive and culturally responsive Sophomore Learning Community (SLC) approach that integrates the principles of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Scholarly research and corresponding interventions have primarily centered on ensuring student persistence from the first to second year despite first- and second-year college students exhibiting similar attrition rates. To fill this gap, SLC builds on the success of our Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC)-Freshman Learning Community (FLC), which was evaluated positively in terms of student engagement, retention, and performance, providing a promising foundation for the SLC’s potential success. SLC aims to support second-year criminal justice (CJ) majors through a cohort-based pedagogical model to enhance student engagement and preparation for life beyond undergraduate studies. This manuscript discusses the development and evolution of the cohort-based approach and its advantages for the field of Criminal Justice and other disciplines.