We invite all incoming students to participate in Outreach 2008, a three-day community service experience that takes place just prior to arrival day.  Outreach is a great way to get  to know other first-years and upperclassmen who are interested in volunteerism and service.  While the work we do is hard, there are also social events and casual meals that allow the group to really bond.

Coordinated through the COVE, Colgate’s Center for Outreach, Volunteerism and Education, Outreach is intended to introduce Colgate students to the community they will call home for the next four years.  First-years will meet many upperclassmen, all of whom have participated in Outreach in past years.  They are a terrific resource for new students, helping them get settled into live at Colgate and showing them all the opportunities that exist here for civic-minded people.

Projects in the past have included:

q     Doing general maintenance projects & painting at Chenango Nursery School

q     Assisting developmentally disabled adults with their gardens at Heritage Farm

q      Cleaning the engines and station of the Hamilton Fire Department & SOMAC, the Southern Madison County Ambulance Corps

q      Maintaining the walking trails at Madison Lane Apartments and assisting the elderly residents with household chores

q      Painting cabins at the Madison County Children’s Camp

A few summers ago, we broadened our reach and spent one of the days working at a variety of agencies in Utica, 45 minutes north of Hamilton.  While a small city, Utica has suffered greatly from economic depression and the urban blight that has affected larger cities across the US.  Drawing on the COVE’s new relationships with community development agencies and local activists in Utica, we were certain that the students would find the work challenging and the experience eye-opening.

Full information about the program is mailed to all incoming students in June, but a typical schedule is shown below:

8 – 8:30 a.m.               Breakfast
8:45 a.m.                     Depart for worksites
9 – noon                      Service work
Noon                           Lunch on site
1– 4 p.m.                     Service work
5:30  p.m.                    BBQ dinner with community leaders,
                                    faculty & staff
7:30 p.m.                     Dessert and coffee at The Barge 
9:30 p.m.                     Movies at Hamilton Movie House

FAQ's about Outreach

Do I get to move into my long-term room early?                          Yes, you will be housed in your regular, year-long housing assignment, although we ask that you not completely set up your room before your roommate arrives.

I am flying in.  How do I get to Colgate?                               Call Collegiate Taxi at (315) 824-8294 for airport transfers

Do my parents need to come back for Arrival Day?                                                                                              It is not necessary, but it is entirely up to you and your family.  You should discuss how comfortable you will feel being on your own on arrival day.  There will be a large number of students who have arrived early-athletes, Wilderness Adventure participants, etc. whose parents will not be here on arrival day.  Some parents don’t want to miss this day, but you as first-years will be able to take care of the details of check-in on your own.

My parents are working; can I come earlier than Monday?     In extreme circumstances, special arrangements can be made, but housekeeping is pushed to the max to get your rooms ready, so arriving on Monday would be best.  On Monday, we will have student staff to help you move your belongings into your rooms and professional staff to help you with any problems or concerns.

I would like to do Wilderness Adventure AND Outreach.  Is this possible?                                                                           Yes, but you must act quickly and request the first session of Wilderness Adventure!

Can I get a refund if I can’t make it to Outreach?                Yes, we will process refunds upon cancellation.

How can I be a part of it?

• Service Learning Classes
• Service Learning Internship Program
• Community Researchers
• Utica Field School
• NONPROFIT SUMMER PROGRAM
• Service Through Education Projects
• MANZI FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
• doing well by DOING GOOD
• SOCIAL JUSTICE ORGANIZATIONS

Reach Out . . .  Learn . . . Plan for the Future . . . Be a Part of the Process