Activities and Programs
Teams of scholars do a large portion of the work that makes Scholars’ programs and activities successful. Scholar teams work closely with the Scholar-led Advisory Board, which meets monthly, reporting and planning in order to fulfill our mission’s goals. The board and teams are open to all scholars. Team work is a great way to contribute and to learn leadership skills.
All scholars are encouraged to get involved.
Scholars are active participants in the Emory and Atlanta communities. Their involvements include but are not limited to the following:
- College Honors Program participants
- Members of honor and social societies- Phi Beta Kappa, Greek sororities & fraternities, Phi Eta Sigma, etc.
- Research assistants in Emory labs
- Editors and contributing writers for The Emory Wheel and other student publications
- Volunteer Emory volunteers
- Athletes-tennis, soccer, swimming, etc.
- Peer educators and tutors for Emory classes
- And many, many more ....
BASE
With the 2003-2004 academic year, B.A.S.E. (Bridging Academics, Service, and Ethics at Emory) began a unique living and learning experience at Emory. Located in the Clairmont Campus Undergraduate Residential Center, B.A.S.E. consists of a group of 28 undergraduate students and a faculty advisor and his/her family living together for the academic year. Their goal as a hall is to build upperclassman community living by integrating social and intellectual life. This begins by getting to know one's neighbors on the hall through fun activities (such as the opening retreat, intramural sports, and holiday parties) and extends to having monthly dinners with distinguished faculty in the Emory community (such as University President Wagner and Geshe Lohkdor, Associate of the Dalia Lama). Members of the hall also engage in projects that aim to bring this intermingling of intellectual and social life to the larger community at Emory. For more information, please visit the following website: http://www.emory.edu/HOUSING/UNDERGRAD/base.html
Coffee Talks
Coffee Talks is a series of small monthly discussions led by Emory faculty or upperclassmen scholar leaders. Here, scholars meet in a group of five to ten students to talk with various faculty members and scholar leaders about their academic work and their lives both inside and outside of the classroom. These are very popular as they are a great way to get to know faculty and fellow scholars on a more personal level.
Community Involvement
Through a wide range of service and cultural opportunities throughout the year, scholars have ample opportunity to be involved in both on-campus and off-campus communities. Scholars can volunteer with a host of organizations that have established relationships with Emory. There are opportunities for both scholar organized events and individual involvement with these organizations. See the Emory Scholars LearnLink conference for the list of organizations.
ESP 101 Program
Upon entering the Emory Scholars Program, each incoming Scholar is assigned to a group led by a member of the Faculty Advisory Committee and two current Scholars. We encourage peer mentoring among Scholars, especially in the framework of student teams responsible for much of the Emory Scholars activities.
Fall Retreat
Each year, the Scholars reserve a weekend in the fall semester for the Scholars Fall Retreat. The scholars meet in focus groups to plan for the upcoming year, participate in themed sessions with faculty members, play games and music, hike, and relax. This is just one of the ways in which scholars actively create the Emory Scholars community. The 2009 Fall Retreat will be held October 23-25, 2009, at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, Georgia.
Finalist Weekend
During March, four days are set aside as Scholar Finalists Weekend (FWD) during which outstanding candidates for admission to Emory are interviewed for merit-based awards. Prospective students experience Emory's campus and the Emory Scholars Program. Current scholars in conjunction with the Scholars and Admission staffs have designed the weekend to accurately display the Emory scholar experience. Finalists Weekend is our invitation to stellar students to become a part of our Emory Scholars community. Finalists will be brought to Emory (at no expense to them) for activities designed to help them become better acquainted with programs and opportunities at Emory and to aid the Scholars Selection Committee in making its final choices for the various awards. Attendance is mandatory for all scholar finalists. Finalist Weekend 2010 is March 24-27.
Newsletter
Current Emory Scholars produce our newsletter which is published three times per semester during the academic year. The newsletter provides updates, calendar reminders, and articles on current scholars, alumni, and other topics related to the program.
Scholarship and Service Summer Program (SAS)
The Scholarship and Service Summer Program, SAS, is another attempt to get scholars involved in service with our communities. SAS is a two-tiered program. Tier 1, the Living/Learning Community, is designed for students with less experience in community-based learning. Tier 2, the Independent Internship, is designed for students with a good deal of experience in community-based learning. Both programs offer scholars an opportunity to work as an intern over the summer in an approved service setting, whether in Atlanta, elsewhere in the United States, or abroad. In addition to study discussion sessions, scholars have opportunities for personal reflection and mentoring. A Theory Practice Learning program, SAS helps expand the scholar's knowledge about Atlanta or their particular service setting, themselves, and others, as they discover how they best learn and serve as part of a community.
Feras Akbik reflecting on his SAS 2004 Tier 1 experience:
"As a uniquely powerful tool of exploration, I think this program is an extremely powerful asset, both to Emory and the scholars community. Not only have I been able to experience alternate views and ways of life, my exploration has also been extremely reflective and introspective. I have been able to dig deeper into myself and tease out what I truly believe in certain areas, ranging from what I want to do with my life to the kind of attitude I want to live every day. Not only have I been able to explore myself and service, but I have really come to appreciate how well this program integrates Emory into the Atlanta community."
Natalie Messer reflecting on her SAS 2008 Tier 2 experience:
“Both last summer and this summer [in SAS Tier 1 and SAS Tier 2] have been amazing experiences that have significantly altered my career path, my values, and my worldview. Some days it was just seeing the passion and hard work of my co-workers, and being motivated by how many people really are out there trying to do good for others, not just for themselves. Some days it was the proud feeling I got from not only a job well done, but from the knowledge that my work had helped a cause I am proud to be a part of. And some days, it was being disappointed in how things were going, how the public knew about energy efficiency, or how bad the status quo was. But every day, I was sincerely inspired by my internship to continue to do non-profit work, and I am very grateful to SAS for the opportunity to discover a career path that I think I’ll really love—and feel good about. “
Summer Study Abroad
Each year, there are scholarships for an Emory CIPA summer study-abroad program available to Emory Scholars. Scholars get a set amount for summer study abroad, which is determined annually by the Emory Scholars Program, and are expected to cover transportation and day-to-day spending costs themselves. Please refer to the scholar benefits for a complete description of the selection criteria. For more information on these awards, visit the CIPA website at www.cipa.emory.edu.
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