Day of engagement to kick off school year

More than 100 new Western students will conclude a week-long orientation program called Viking Launch with a day of community engagement on Saturday, Sept. 19^, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.  The service projects range from agricultural activities at Growing Veterans to helping Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth reorganize their theater.

This is the fifth annual Viking Launch program offered to first year students.  This unique program was created to give incoming students a chance to adjust to college life before Fall Quarter starts.  Students are able to move into the dorms early, take classes for credit, and explore Western before Fall classes begin.

The day of engagement is an essential component of Viking Launch, allowing the students to not only learn about the greater Bellingham and Whatcom county communities, but also to gain a better understanding of Western’s mission of community engagement.

Last year 95 students participated in the day of service, partnering with a total of 8 community organizations, including the Volunteer Center of Whatcom County’s Chore program.  The Chore program aims to ensure quality of life among the elderly and peoples with disabilities by helping them complete essential household tasks.  A client from the program described a pair of Viking Launch students as “a hurricane force in human form” and they “made [his] daily living much more comfortable.”

For more information about Viking Launch or the Center for Service-Learning, please call (360) 650-7542 or email Olivia.Hill@wwu.edu