Orientation Leader Training

 

 

The core of this training focuses on facilitation/presentation skills.

Among other things, we might work on:

 

  • Leading the small group process
  • Debriefing skills
  • Dealing with helicopter parents
  • Learning new icebreakers
  • Learning simple and effective ways to facilitate icebreakers

 

In order to make our programs as effective for you as possible, we first learn specifically what you are looking for:  what outcomes, learning, experience do you want your leaders to have at the end of our time together.  We learn as much as we can about your campus and the needs of your orientation leaders, then create a cutomized flow of events tailored to fit your specific needs.  Then we spell out in detail our recommendations, staying away from "canned" programs so we can best directly target your intended outcomes. 

 

 

We’ve worked with group sizes from 4-200 in trainings that range from 2 hours to intensive, 2-3 day retreats.  For example, we've worked with a team of 17 Orientation Leaders for 13 1/2 hours straight focusing specifically on facilitation and teambuilding, and have facilitated a 2 hour communication workshop for over 150 Orientation Leaders.  When we say we customize our events to your specific needs, we mean it.

 

 

 

 

What else they say...

 

Here's a few comments from an Orientation Leader training at Muhlenberg College that Troy Stende facilitated. It was conducted with 88 Orientation Leaders over 6 hours. The two goals were to:

 

1. Get each OL partnership ready to facilitate 1 1/2 hours of ice breakers to their small groups of 15-20 new students.

2. Connect and bond the OL partners

 

(This information was gathered from an anonymous online survey)

 

On preparing for the new students...

 

"Troy Stende's program is one that helps to build the confidence necessary to be a leader and provides the mental and physical toolbox to facilitate success."


"The training with Troy was a dynamic, informative, and worthwhile experience. I learned techniques for effective communication and teambuilding; I also strategized about how to establish my role and go about my mission of successfully leading and engaging a group. The entire training was a valuable tool not only for the Orientation Weekend but in its application to life, as a whole."


"I had a great time and i cant wait to do it next year!"


"It's wonderful. I think Troy goes about everything in the best way he can. As a future educator, I value what he had to say, and I'm so glad that I did the program. I feel like a better person because of it. Troy's awesome!"


"There isn't much out there that's effective, that "works". Troy is and does in every way."


"The freshmen were very engaged in the icebreakers. It was good to start out on low gradient and work to the high gradient activities. You not only explained but also demonstrated lots of enthusiasm and strategies for HOW to get the First-Years interested; it was very rewarding for us to see how efforts to employ those methods you gave us really, truly got the freshmen going! Thanks very much for your tips, strategies, positive attitude, and actual ideas for activities to use!"

 

"I especially enjoyed the portion that dealt with how to phrase questions and answers, and how to talk to the new students. Word order and word choice are so important, so dealing with that properly was really helpful and effective."


"It helped us prepare for the weekend, most definitely. Everything from the scenarios to the stories to the activities we did, were not only relevant but essential to getting the right approach and mindset about our role in the group as leaders and facilitators (including the discussion aspects)!"

 

"It was so much fun to do the activities! Not only that, but by enjoying it myself, that enjoyment really communicated itself when I then facilitated those activities for the freshman. When they had the opinion it was going to be boring, I could say from personal experience it was fun and helpful."

 

On connecting with their OL partner...

 

"I definitely felt more connected to my partner as a result of the training. The mouse trap idea was something I had never witnessed before in my life. It was great to use this as a way to build trust and COMMUNICATION!!!! within our pair."

 

"The program was great not only for the freshman students, but also for the upperclassman as well! Learning how to facilitate and organize large groups is a leadership skill necessary for any occupation, and the ability to address co-workers and staff in a successful, clear manner is an invaluable skill. I would be happy to do this program again and again."


 

 

97% of the respondends reported that the new students made at least one new friend