Start students’ college career off with an adventure that will set a tone of community, belonging, teamwork, healthy communication and self-understanding, while building memories and relationships to last a lifetime.
College itself is a huge adventure with so many new places to explore, friendships to build, ideas to encounter, and responsibilities to balance. However, at the outset, the excitement and apprehension of the unknown can be a little overwhelming as students seek to find a home in their new surroundings. There is nothing like spending a weekend paddling down the Connecticut River, or circling around a fire after a long day of trail building on the M&M to draw new students together as they share in a sense of common experience and achievement. You might consider including a faculty member and give students the opportunity to start building relationships within the academic community before they even step in the classroom. Beginning just days before as a group of strangers, students will leave with a sense of purposeful camaraderie and direction, having already begun to explore the meaningful relationships and level of impact that they can be a part of in college.
Here are some of the opportunities we can provide for orientation events:
- An overnight eco-service project where students will experience the empowerment of forming meaningful relationships while working together to contribute to the local area by assisting in the maintenance of one of the many trails in the region.
- Day-long or overnight expeditions, including rockcliming, paddling, caving and hiking, where students will learn the importance of trust and communication in working together as a team.
- A GPS scavenger hunt on campus to familiarize new students with campus offices and resources.
- Dynamic and fun team-building events of any size with intentional activities that will facilitate interaction and healthy communication between new students.
