Saturday, December 19th, 2020 | 1 PM – 2 PM EST
Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/GICvirtualcelebration We made it through 2020! (Well, almost there.) We invite all current students, alumni, and community members to join us for brunch on Saturday morning/afternoon to simply check-in with one another and celebrate in the community. We hope to see your lovely faces. If you like, wear your festive sweater or bring a warm holiday drink/dish or just simply join us to close out the year on Zoom!Open to students, alumni, and Friends of GIC!
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2020 has been a testing year for us all but it has not stopped the Greenfield Intercultural Center (GIC) from building community and helping students stay connected to campus. If there is one thing we've learned through this challenging time, it is that WE NEED EACH OTHER. We are so grateful to the courage of our campus partners, the wisdom of our alumni community, the resilience of our student leaders on campus, and the strength of our beloved community. We need each other more than ever before. Thank you for making the weight easier to carry. Here are a few highlights:
Campus partners to host/co-host an event:
GIC Key Progress:
What has contribute to the success of our virtual community engagement this year?
2020 Year in Review (Highlights)March 2020: Work from home begins...Our new GIC Associate Director, Kia Lor, joined us on March 16th, 2020, which was also the first day Penn announced the 'work from home' policy. The GIC was finally fully started and ready to go full steam ahead! April 2020: Let the virtual programming begin!One of the first virtual programs we hosted was a "GIC Social Distance Fitness Challenge" where we ask GIC students and staff to submit a short clip of them doing a workout during quarantine. It was a fun, engaging, and healthy way to engage with each other while practicing social distancing. May 2020: Virtual Graduation CeremoniesCongratulations to the Penn Class of 2020 Graduates! We celebrated our Class of 2020 graduates by inviting their family, friends, partners, professors, and mentors to submit a video and/or congratulatory words to each graduate. Over 80 attendees showed up to the virtual gathering with multiple family members. The event involved music from alums, 6 live presenters including two alumni greetings from Philadelphia and San Francisco, recordings from students, staff and course instructors, a power point with written congratulatory messages and a virtual album slideshow. Some of the feedback we received:
Natives at Penn (NAP) Graduation Ceremony
May 2020: Alliance for Understanding (AU) students initiated and advocated for a conversation about George Floyd and justiceJuly 2020: Virtual Info-Sessions for Class of 2024The GIC partnered with the Office of Admission to put together the GIC Virtual Patio Series for the incoming class of 2024. At the GIC, we enjoy community meals and fellowship in our backyard and patio. So, students were invited to join our GIC Virtual Patio Series chat with current Native, First-Gen Lower-Income (FGLI), International FGLI, and DACAmented/ Undocumented students who will share how they navigate Penn. Each of the five sessions included student stories, helpful information, and time for Q&A. August 2020: Virtual PreceptorialsThe GIC partnered with the New Student Orientation and Academic Initiatives (NSOAI) to put on 4 preceptorials. These are non-credit seminars led by faculty and some distinguished guest lecturers, available to Penn undergraduates in Fall and Spring semesters to supplement the curriculum. The program is designed to foster an interactive, conversational experience with no grades or tests. The goal of preceptorials is learning for learning's sake in an experience often outside the classroom.
September 2020: Virtual Open HouseThis was the first time we facilitated a virtual open house and it was well-received by students and campus partners. We reached out to various students leaders that have a relationship to the GIC as well as campus-partners who work closely with the GIC, to record and submit a video to welcome new and returning students back to campus. Our virtual open house video covers a whole range of information, from FGLI Cafe, to learning communities, to FruiTea, to PennFLASH, etc. Alumni EngagementOne of the silver-linings of the COVID-19 global pandemic was the ability to connect current students with Penn alumni from across the world virtually. The GIC partnered with the Penn First Plus Alumni to facilitate various types of virtual programs for the purpose of:
FGLI AdvancementNatives at PennWellness & Community Building |