Great opportunity to:

• Build facilitation skills
• Gain skills in planning, risk management, marketing, and recruiting
• Work with 20 new students
• Camp, hike, canoe, and enjoy the outdoors! (no experience necessary)

Details of the Discovery program are available at www.elon.edu/discovery.

Applicants must be available a few days before and after the Discovery Program (June19-25).
A stipend, on-campus housing and meals will be provided during your time on campus in June.

Applications are available by emailing Emily Ivey (eivey2@elon.edu), Director of New Student Orientation. Applications due January 4th, 2011 in hard copy or via e-mail.

Applicants do not need prior outdoors or Discovery experience to apply.

On June 20, within minutes of arriving on campus, the students quickly learned how to trust and depend on one another while participating on the Elon low-ropes course. Here, they learned concepts that would bring them together for a positive, unified week.

The Discovery program traveled to Luray, Va., in the Shenandoah Valley and conquered the trails of Old Rag Mountain. Accompanied by their student facilitators and advisers, the group hiked nearly nine miles, working together through a rock scramble to a 3,291 foot summit, where they encountered some of the most beautiful scenery Virginia and the East Coast has to offer.

Participants also strengthened teamwork and communication skills during a 6 mile canoe ride down the Shenandoah River and explored the history of the local Luray Caverns.

Amidst developing leadership and teamwork skills, the Discovery Program served the local community, maintaining and cleaning up trails in the Shenandoah River State Park. 消消犯 spent a day and a half creating new trails and grooming trails which were overgrown. The students took this opportunity to serve the community they joined for a week.

Beyond adventures through the wilderness and service, upperclassmen facilitators guided new students on discussions, ranging from involvement opportunities, the Elon Honor Code, academic rigor, and being an active contributor in the Elon Community.

Despite only spending one week with each other, the students gained trust and formed friendships that will last forever. Determination, and pushing through obstacles, helped each participant realize that even though college is a significant transition, they have peers who will be a support during their transition.

For these 20 first-year students, getting ready to start a new chapter in their life, Discovery helped ease worries about roommates, friendships, and learning about academic expectations before coming to Elon. In a way, their first glimpse at college life was a discovery, through leadership, service, discussion, and teamwork.

Discovery participants were: Sophie Clements, Rachel Corby, Emily Delaplane, Ian Durham, Bryant Edwards, Katie Hadobas, Mach Hamilton, Anna Harris, Michael Hart, Tessa Jones, Ben Kashdan, Connor Keenan, Meaghann Ligori, Nick Margherita, John Parker, Lisa Picklesimer, Baden Piland, Anna Schwarz, Greg Sutton and Liv Varney.

Director of New Student Orientation Emily Ivey accompanied the students and presented an educational session titled “The Journey: Discovering the Value of Pre-Orientation Programs,” which highlighted First-Year Summer Experience Programs at Elon. Also presenting on the subject were students Andrew Glass, Brandon Landreth, and Stephen Rusterholz. Elon students presented two additional educational sessions on the Psychology of Leadership and Student Leader Training.

消消犯 attended a variety of education sessions including diversity training, transfer student programming, millennial students, peer supervision, conflict resolution, ethical decision making, and translating the orientation experience into everyday life. Additionally students Brandon Landreth and Lauren King participated in the 消消犯 case study presenting a well-developed solution to a real-life problem.

消消犯 reflected on their experience highlighting the knowledge and fresh perspective they gained from other institutions as well as the tremendous pride they have for the Elon Orientation Program. In reflecting on her experience head staff member Stacey Markham stated “I’m so proud of the professional conduct of our staff members and the well organized nature of our Orientation Program.”

The banner competition provided an opportunity for Elon to showcase their school using the conference theme, “Srowtally 80’s” while highlighting the institute by including creative information about the school, depicting aspects of the school, and providing an imaginative display of school spirit. Banners were evaluated on professionalism, school spirit, creativity, representation of the institution, and overall quality. Sixty institutions entered the competition with Elon winning first place.

In attendance were students: Andrea Bernick, Caroline Cronin, Steve Ferguson, Jamie Fries, Andrew Glass, Kaitlin Henze, Sam Jennings, Stuart Jones, Lauren King, Brandon Landreth, Stacey Markham, Stephen Rusterholz, Natalie Sayag, and Suzanne Uliano. The group was led by Emily Ivey, Director of New Student Orientation.

Great opportunity to:

• Build Facilitation Skills
• Gain skills in planning, risk management, marketing, and recruiting
• Work with 20 New 消消犯
• Camp, Hike, Canoe, and enjoy the outdoors! (no experience necessary)

Applicants must be able to attend spring trainings (Tuesdays 5:30-7:30) and available a few days before and after the Discovery Program (June 20-26).

A stipend, on-campus housing, and meals will be provided during your time on-campus in June.

Discovery is a First-Year Summer Program for 20 incoming first-year students. The program teaches students camping skills, provides services in the Shenandoah National Park, while aiding in the transition to Elon.  Discovery is co-led by two upperclassmen facilitators and advised by two staff/faculty members.  This is a wonderful opportunity to impact the class of 2014 and enhance your communication, facilitation, and group teambuilding skills in a dynamic environment.

For more information about the Discovery Program, please visit our 2008 website: 

To get a facilitator application, please email Emily Ivey, Director of New Student Orientation at eivey2@elon.edu

Note: No prior Discovery experience is required.

Cash and check only.  

Sizes S, M, L, XL available.  Limited amount, come early to get the size you want!

Elon’s Discovery Program, a first-year summer program of the Office of New Student Orientation, familiarizes incoming students with Elon’s campus and helps them develop leadership and team-building skills before they begin in the fall. This year, the program was led by student facilitators Stephen Rusterholz ’12 and Sarah Baig ’12, advised by Emily Ivey, Director of Orientation, and Denard Jones, Associate Director of Admissions.

On June 21, 2009, within minutes of arriving on campus, the new students quickly learned how to trust and depend on one another while participating on the Elon Low ropes Challenge Course. Here, they learned concepts that would bring them together for a positive week.

Discovery’s traveled to Luray, Va., in the Shenandoah Valley and conquered the trails of Old Rag Mountain. Accompanied by their student facilitators and advisors, the group hiked nearly nine miles, working together through a rock scramble to a 3,291 foot summit, where they encountered some of the most beautiful scenery Virginia and the East Coast has to offer. Participants also strengthened communication skills during an 8 mile canoe ride down the Shenandoah River and explored the history of the local Luray Caverns.

Amidst developing leadership and teamwork skills, the Discovery program served the local community, removing invasive plant species near the Appalachian Trail in the Shenandoah National Park. 消消犯 remove plants that are not native to the area, pulling Oriental Lady’s Thumb, Japanese stiltgrass, garlic mustard, and cutting bittersweet vine.

Helping preserve the park’s native plants proved to be important, as only days before Discovery, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and Virginia first lady Anne Holton volunteered with youth groups pulling the same plants. Their help was a part of Obama’s national campaign “United We Serve.”

Beyond adventures through the wilderness and service, student facilitators sat down with the new students and guided them on discussions of various topics, ranging from involvement opportunities, the Elon Honor Code, academic rigor, and being an active contributor in the Elon Community.

“I was amazed at how everyone was willing to help me on the hike,” said Brittany Wheatley, a new student from Delaware. “I knew that the hike would be challenging, but with all the encouragement I got from everyone, I learned the value of working together.”

Despite only spending one week with each other, the students gained trust and formed friendships that would last forever. “While at dinner the first night, I sat down next to someone I had never met before, we introduced ourselves, and a week later we’re great friends. Being put in a situation like discovery brings people closer together,” said Bill Powers of Cary, N.C.

“Discovery was a great way to not only challenge yourself but to make close friendships with a group of people that will last a lifetime,” said Melissa Deaton of Elon, N.C.

Determination, and pushing through obstacles, helped each participant realize that even though college is a significant transition, they have 19 other new friends who will be a support during their transition.

For these 20 freshmen getting ready to start a new chapter in their life, Discovery helped ease worries about roommates, forming friendships, and learning about academic expectations before coming to Elon. In a way, their first glimpse at college life was a discovery, through leadership, service, discussion, and teamwork.

The program not only helped jumpstart the journey into college, but pointed the students in a direction that Elon will continue to guide them through their next four years at the University. A new chapter started, but the rest of the book has yet to be written.
 

Director Emily Ivey and Student Coordinator Megan Schneider presented on creating philosophies which direct the work of an orientation staff. Ten student leaders presented workshops on key topics including team development, diversity and group facilitation. Each presentation was attended by over 40 消消犯, graduate, and professional members at the conference.

Additionally, students Steve Ferguson and Clay Winkelvoss participated in a case study competition in which they had 24 hours to come up with a logical, well thought-out solution to a possible problem that could arise during orientation.

Team members gained valuable experience presenting in a conference environment and acquired insight into the unique nature of different orientation programs. Additionally, students strengthened their knowledge about orientation practices while building community among orientation programs in the Southeast.

消消犯 in attendance included: Sean Butler, Peter Cooper, Steve Ferguson, Laura Funk, Caitlyn Juengel, Natalie Lampert, Brandon Landreth, Stacey Markham, Shea Northcut, Erika Pescatore, Megan Schneider, Suzanne Uliano, Clayton Winkelvoss and Walt Yates. The group was led by Emily Ivey, Director of New Student Orientation.
 

Pick up your Belong Shirt Wednesday from 11am-3pm outside McKinnon Hall, in the Moseley Center.  This is your last chance to pick up a pre-purchased shirt.

If you are interested in purchasing a Belong Shirt for only $5 we will be selling our surplus tomorrow at the table.  Please bring cash or check.

If you have any questions please Contact New Student Orientation at 336-278-7777