George Brown Polytechnic is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation and other Indigenous peoples who have lived here over time. We are grateful to share this land as treaty people who learn, work and live in the community with each other.
Employees and student volunteers rolled out the blue carpet to welcome thousands of new students to the George Brown community during Orientation. Once again, we successfully kicked off the school year in high spirits, introducing students to their big next step.
In the week before the Fall semester starts, new and current students get to know George Brown at Campus Days, Academic Orientations, International Student Orientation, and Black Student Welcome Mixers.
“Our biggest goal is to help students feel welcomed, connected, and supported right from the start of their George Brown journey,” said Orientation Co-ordinator Elvis Glover. “Orientation creates an early sense of belonging by bringing students together outside of the classroom in a fun, low-pressure way."
Campus Days introduce students to their new campus, instructors, peers, and support services. From August 26 to 28, each main campus had their day to show off everything they have to offer. To get acquainted with their programs, many academic orientations took place on the same day, while others are scheduled for the start of the semester. To get orientated with campus buildings and helpful services, students could take advantage of tours and service fairs.
A new initiative this year was the Orientation Passport, an interactive activity that encouraged students to visit the different service tables to get a passport stamped for a chance to win prizes. Campus Days also boasted live entertainment, interactive games such as VR experiences and mini-golf, caricature artists, and more.
International Student Orientation and Black Student Welcome Mixers, which also happened last week, are additional useful events for students of each group to connect with one another while learning about specific supports from the college and community, ensuring they have a smooth transition into life at George Brown.
The efforts of organizing Orientation take a village, so special thanks for the hard work from the Orientation and Student Life teams, helmed by Thomas Kaddour, International Student Services, the Black Student Success Network, and the over 90 volunteers who came together to create such a welcoming week for all our students.
And a big thanks to the social media team for capturing the highlights of an amazing week. Check out their coverage on Instagram (@GBCollege) and TikTok (@georgebrowncollege).
“Each academic year brings new faces and exciting opportunities for our community,” said Patricia Chorney Rubin, Interim Vice-President, Academic. “I am so proud that our news students’ first experience at George Brown has been shaped by the incredible teamwork of our staff and students involved in delivering Orientation activities.”
Students have more fun to look forward to kicking off the semester, as the Student Association takes on the first week of classes with a Tropical Street Festival at each campus between September 2 and 10, where students can enjoy Hawaiian performances, live music, mocktails, tropical eats, henna tattoos, cartoonists, and more.
