Community Immersion Orientation Trips, along with orientation trips organized by the Bowdoin Outing Club, provide first-year students with an introduction to the Bowdoin community that challenges them and engages them in existing and emerging areas of interest. The experience includes daily service projects, field trips to sites of interest, discussions with staff from area non-profits, nightly reflective discussions, and social activities that support local businesses. Students build life-long friendships while fostering a commitment to service that will hopefully last their stay at Bowdoin and beyond.
Many students who have taken part in the Community Immersion Orientation Trips program often go on to become Orientation Trip leaders and help first-year students begin to navigate college life and the local community. Whether it is organizing service projects, leading discussions about important community issues, modeling responsible community engagement, or making first-years feel more comfortable by leading fun ice-breakers, these leaders devote four days to making new students feel at home once they arrive at Bowdoin.