Pre-Orientation

Program Details
2024 Program Tracks
September 21-24

Multicultural Scholars

Faculty:  Kendra Aguilar and Prita Lal
Instructors: Michael & Juanita

The Multicultural Scholars Program is a dynamic and empowering experience dedicated to championing the academic and personal growth of incoming students from diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds. Spearheaded by the BIPOC & LGBTQ+ Intersectional Support Services (BLISS), in collaboration with faculty, staff, and students, this intensive 2-credit course serves as a pivotal platform for cultivating enduring connections and setting the stage for a successful college journey.

Throughout the program, participants will be immersed in a stimulating blend of seminars, immersive projects, and thought-provoking discussions designed to ignite critical thinking and foster holistic personal development. Additionally, students will have access to a diverse range of wellness practices and tools aimed at nurturing balance and resilience, ensuring they are well-prepared for success in both academic and personal spheres.

Together, we will embark on a journey of self-discovery and empowerment, challenging ingrained perceptions, dismantling biases, and reshaping our understanding of ourselves, our peers, and the world at large.

Civic Engagement Institute

Faculty: Carolyn Prouty and Anthony Zaragoza

The Civic Engagement Institute is designed to launch your experience as a co-learner and leader at Evergreen. Our approach to civic engagement emphasizes developing knowledge, capacities, values, and motivation to participate ethically in sustaining the vibrance of our communities, including our own learning community. In our time together, we’ll focus on three aspects of civic engagement:

1. You will learn about what it means to become scholars and organizers engaged in community advocacy or activism by learning about public scholarship, visiting local history projects, and connecting with Olympia organizers.
2. You will learn about community-engaged research and inquiry by using field techniques for learning, looking, and listening to their communities–including observation and documentation, interviewing, and self-reflection.
3. You will explore community-based action and service learning through connecting with Evergreen alumni working in non-profit organizations; in addition, students will volunteer at a local organization during our five-day institute.

Each of our activities will emphasize: a) building awareness of our own identities in the context of the communities we’re a part of, b) community-building among peers and faculty, and c) connecting with potential community partners. 

Biodiversity in Evergreen’s Backyard

Faculty:  Paul Przybylowicz and Erik Thuesen

Located at the southern tip of Puget Sound with over ½ mile of beachfront and about 1,000 acres of forest, Evergreen is located at the intersection of the marine and terrestrial worlds. Join us for explorations of the local flora and fauna as we visit some of the local gems; old-growth forests, marine reserves, and local watersheds. We will observe nature at multiple levels, from landscape to microscopic. There will be an all-day field trip using sea kayaks in southern Puget Sound to examine diversity in situ, and microscopy labs that we will use to examine the morphological diversity of local organisms.

Growing Wellness: Community Gardens and Forest Trails of Olympia

Faculty:  Melissa Nivala and Steve Scheuerell

We will focus on the individual and community wellness benefits of having publicly supported local food systems, community gardens, and forest and beach trails. Students will be introduced to local volunteer opportunities while considering the individual wellness and social benefits of regular, active community engagement. In addition to field trips, students will complete a group volunteer activity at the campus organic farm and community gardens and do light trail maintenance on a campus trail. Students will be familiarized with published evidence for the benefits of participating in regular outdoor activities and develop a personal outdoor wellness plan. Students will be introduced to various outdoor spaces on our 1000-acre campus and using the Olympia bus system to access volunteer and recreational opportunities off campus. Field trips include The Olympia Farmers Market, Thurston County Food Bank, GRUB, Heritage Park, Washington State Capitol grounds, Evergreen’s gardens and organic farm, campus forest and beach trails.