7 Generations Pre-Orientation Program
What Does it Mean to Be Part of the Tribe Family?
The Program
In our 7 Generations pre-orientation program, we offer pre-orientation community service trips, modeled after alternative breaks, in August. Each trip allows incoming first-year and transfer students to participate in hands-on service while learning about diverse social issues and community-building solutions. 7Generations is an incredible opportunity to get connected to community service at W&M, meet some amazing classmates, and make a positive impact before move-in day!
What 7 Generations is About
- Learning about poverty and related social justice issues our communities face
- Addressing those issues through service in partnership with strong community organizations
- Meeting others interested in community engagement before ever setting foot on campus
See our video from 2010!
REGISTER NOW for the 2012 7 Generations Pre-Orientation Trips
Registration for the 2012 7 Generations Trips will close June 29th, 2012
Trip Dates
The 2012 7 Generations trips will run August 5th through the 11th, beginning and concluding at The College.
The Trips
Below are the 7 Generations trips we are offering August 2012. Each trip has ten incoming student participants, led by OCES staff members and upper-class W&M students.
Exploring the Human Animal Connection
Students will work with Heritage Humane Society and other community agencies in the Williamsburg area to understand the benefits of the human-animal bond through therapeutic and companion animal programs. This trip will also explore how addressing animal welfare impacts and relates to other community issues.
Diminishing Hunger in Virginia
This trip will address food justice, the way communities are coming together to address the root problems that cause hunger in their area. Students will work in Williamsburg and Richmond to see what hunger looks like in different communities and how different organizations are working to feed their neighbors with diverse and innovative programs. Some of our partners will be The Campus Kitchen at William and Mary, Grove Christian Outreach, Shalom Farm and the William Byrd Community House.
Asessing Access to Housing & Healthcare
This trip will split its time between the Eastern Shore of Virginia and Williamsburg, focusing on access to affordable housing and healthcare and its effect on both communities. Students will likely work with migrant worker communities through the Eastern Shore Rural Health System, and partner with Habitat for Humanity and Olde Towne Medical Centre in Williamsburg.
Cost
For 2012, each trip cost $175 per student. These fees include travel expenses during the trip, food, housing and education materials. Financial aid may be available. After you are accepted into the program, you will be asked to submit a deposit and final payment as checks made out to The College of William and Mary.
Background
In the Office of Community Engagement and Scholarship, we believe being part of the Tribe Family means a responsibility to and a connection with those around us. For us, this connection does not stop at the Wren Gate but rather extends to our larger communities - that of Williamsburg, the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation, and the world.
Building off these principles of family, connection, and social responsibility, we sponsor a community engagement pre-orientation program for incoming freshman and transfer students called 7 Generations.
The program's name comes from an Iroquois proverb which states, "in every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations." Our program will take this concept one step further, reaching back through history to see how the past affects the world now while taking direct action to change the future.
Outcomes
Participants in 7 Generations took pre- and post-trip surveys to measure their learning, based on the Branch Out Alternative Breaks program outcomes. We were pleased to see that our 7G-ers learned and contributed significantly during their time with us! Check out the graphs, below, for more.
