Pre-Orientation

2023 Program Tracks

Examples of past program tracks:
 

Civic Engagement Institute

Faculty: Eric Stein and Julia Zay

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 artists engaged in community advocacy or activism by learning about public scholarship, visiting local history projects, and connecting with Olympia artists.
    
2. You will learn about community-engaged research and creative 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. 
 

Multicultural Scholars

Faculty: Hailey Maria Salazar and Prita Lal

The Multicultural Scholars Program is an empowering intensive focused on supporting incoming multi-racial/multi-ethnic students.  The program is open to all incoming students who are interested in supporting historically underrepresented students.  The course is designed as a catalyst to forge lasting connections and lay the groundwork for a successful college career. This 2-credit course is facilitated by First Peoples Multicultural Trans & Queer Support Services in collaboration with faculty, staff, and students. Students will engage in stimulating seminars, immersive projects, and thought-provoking discussions that foster critical thinking and personal growth. This track additionally offers an array of wellness practices and tools for nourishment and balance to prepare students for success. Together, we will challenge preconceived notions, unravel biases, and reshape our understanding of ourselves, our peers, and the world around us.
 

Biodiversity in Evergreen’s Backyard

Faculty: Paul Przybylowicz and Eric Thuesen

Located at the southern tip of the 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 two all-day field trips and two microscope labs that we will use to examine the local environment and the amazing diversity of life therein.