Pre-Wildcat Welcome
Pre-Wildcat Welcome programs offer an opportunity to meet fellow new students before move-in day. Through community service, exploring the many different neighborhoods throughout Chicago, leadership development, backpacking and camping new students will share experiences to form close bonds before arriving on campus and gear up to transition to Northwestern.
Service Learning
Advisor: Andrea Bell (Email: andrea-bell@northwestern.edu)
Student Leaders: Chelsea Corbin and Greg Shanahan
When: September 8 – 16, 2013
Where: 10 sites in the Midwest
To increase awareness of social needs and to encourage lifelong civic engagement, Alternative Student Breaks sends student volunteers on trips to 10 selected nonprofits where the work ranges from refugee resettlement to youth development. Through their service-learning experiences participants build relationships with fellow incoming freshmen as well as the upperclass students who act as site leaders. Students on different trips meet with each other several times during the service week, which ends with everyone on all 10 trips meeting up in Chicago.
Student Leaders: Kate O'Connor, Daniel Flores, Melanie NehkornWhen: September 10-16, 2013
Where: Various Chicago neighborhoods
During the five-day Freshman Urban Program, participants stay in a youth hostel in Chicago’s Loop and venture out to different neighborhoods to volunteer at community centers, urban schools, homeless shelters, advocacy organizations, art centers, and more. Students learn about social and political issues and resources in the city by speaking with Northwestern professors, community members, social service organization leaders, and their peers. While getting to know Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods, they also get to know 90 other Northwestern students.
Adventure Learning
Advisor: Jason Hanson (Email: Jason-Hanson@northwestern.edu)Student Leaders: Catherine Althaus and Mark MorelWhen: September 12-16, 2013Where: Pretty Lake Vacation Camp, Mattawan, MichiganCATalyst is a leadership-development program geared for students making the transition to Northwestern. “Challenge by choice” and other team-building activities encourage participants to step outside their comfort zone. While working to earn each other’s trust, prove themselves as problem solvers and communicators, and grow in self-awareness, they can begin new friendships, bond with upperclass mentors, and get valuable insights into Wildcat life.
Advisor: Jason Hanson (Email: Jason-Hanson@northwestern.edu)Student Leaders: Jamie Lincoff, Kiley Naas, Jesse Swedlund, Katy Vogt, and Storm HeidingerWhen: September 8-16, 2013Where: Various Midwest campgrounds
Project Wildcat offers new students the opportunity to reflect, bond with other new students, and experience the great outdoors through an eight day hiking and backpacking trip. Spend your last week of summer enjoying beautiful views of Lake Superior and laughing around the campfire with ten new friends. This outdoor adventure culminates with a lakeside campout on campus on the eve of Wildcat Welcome