House Hike/Walk

Objectives

• Get people outdoors
• See more of Acadia National Park
• Build Community
• Release endorphin
• Hang out casually

Summary
Hikes and walks are a great way to get residents out of the house, into fresh air and see more of the park. It's also a great way to get some exercise in and force residents to put away their phones, tablets and laptops. Ah, there's nothing like nature and conversation.

Registration Parties

Objectives

• De-stress residents
• Help with registration problems
• Hangout with the community mid-term
• Chat with and check-in with residents about classes
• Eat food or drink tea - Yumma!

Summary
Registration parties became a huge hit with residents. They come in all types from pancake extravaganzas to small tea times around midnight. The trick is to cater to your community within reason and have a supportive time during what can be, a very stressful process. Depending on what you want to do with your residents you will need to prepare accordingly. Also if you are wanting to speak with residents about what classes they are planning on taking or how they feel their current classes are going this is a great time to start the conversation. It can encourage residents to help one another (all being in similar situations) and you to check with residents when in the coming weeks it will become difficult to pin them down!

Kitten Cuddling

Objectives

• Get residents off island and out of COA for awhile
• Stress relief around weeks nine and ten
• Bond together as a community over kittens!

Summary
Kitten cuddling is actually an outing to the SPCA to play with their kittens for a period of time. It was a great stress relief for residents during week nine of winter term which is always very difficult emotionally. There isn't a lot of sunlight, it's cold and people stay inside more. This can create a lot of tension and sometimes stir crazy energy from being around the same people, in the same space for ten straight weeks. The SPCA was in Ellsworth so it got residents off island and the kittens were cute and fluffy, nuff said.