"My expectations were blown out of the water! After the first day of service I felt I had known my team my whole life. I definitely felt a part of the community as well." 2007 POSTer
In August of 1996, POST was successfully piloted with 30 first-year students.
In the thirteen years since, over 600 students have participated in POST, and
more
than 100 students
have returned to serve as team leaders.
Students are expected to arrive at Cornell on Sunday. Students have Sunday afternoon and evening for small and large group teambuilding activities and become acclimated to their new living quarters for the next four days and nights. POST staff review rules and expectations with them during dinner on Sunday night and they also review their daily schedules in their assigned teams that evening. POST participants and Team Leaders sleep, shower and prepare meals from this new home base, and each day you perform daily community service projects for a variety of nonprofit organizations including schools. Four out of five evenings you will participate in large group planned activities.
Upper-class students who previously were POST participants themselves lead each POST team of 8-10 new students. All project sites and evening activities take place in the greater Ithaca area. Last year's projects included painting and light demolition work, trail maintenance, visiting with local seniors at area nursing homes, grounds work and other projects. Projects vary from year to year, depending on the needs of our local community.
The goals of POST are to provide first-year and transfer students with several opportunities. First, it gives you the opportunity to meet other new Cornellians and get a head start on making friends. Second, you participate in hands-on community service projects each day, fulfilling the service tradition that is part of Cornell's mission. And lastly, POST enables you to become familiar with Ithaca, the community of which you will be a part during your time here at Cornell. POST has provided a unique and highly rewarding experience to its participants, team leaders and service sites for the past thirteen years.
