DOC First-Year Trips / Info for Families

Info for Families

“As I was deciding whether or not to go through with this whole first year trip experience, a smiling older Dartmouth student approached me and asked if I was waiting to check in. I reluctantly said yes and before I knew it I had said goodbye to my family and checked in for my first year trip. I took a risk and stepped out of my comfort zone by going on that trip. And I ended up having a great and rewarding experience.” —Katelyn Onufrey’15

Not only is your child leaving home for college, now we’re asking you to throw them into the wilderness! But we’ve found that this is one of the best ways to help new students learn about their new home and meet their new classmates. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call the DOC First-Year Trips office at (603) 646-3996 (starting in April) or call the Outdoor Programs Office at (603) 646-2428 any time of the year.

Training & Safety

The DOC Trips Director work closely with the College’s administrative offices to ensure the Trips program is both safe and extremely prepared in case of an emergency. Every trip leader is First Aid and CPR trained, and are required to attend three in-depth trainings seminars, a full hard skills workshop, and specific trip training in the months before the program begins. Additionally, every leader participates in an intense 24-hour review session the day before their Trip starts.

Throughout the duration of Trips, we have six different support crews throughout New Hampshire that are keeping the program safe and prepared.certified emergency care providers stationed in Hanover and at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge with local community back-up. We have one phone line dedicated solely for medical emergencies and someone is covering it 24 hours a day during Trips.

Trips are designed to provide challenges for a wide range of abilities, without being overwhelming. Your child’s accurate and realistic statement of their physical abilities, and what they are interested in doing for a First-Year Trip on the application will help us place them appropriately and maintain the safety of the program.

Making Travel Arrangements

Some families prefer to make travel and schedule arrangements as early as possible (some call us even before we’ve sent out applications!). Although it is extremely rare that we tell someone we can’t find space for them on a specific date (we really want everyone to be able to go!), please be aware that if you commit yourself to a specific timeframe before we assign trips, your child may not be able to get the trip they really want. Not all trip types are offered in every section.

If you’re traveling to Hanover, you might be interested in Dartmouth’s list of local lodging.

Loosening the ties…

During DOC Trips, the office gets very busy. If you need to confirm that your child has arrived in Hanover from their travel, please arrange for them to call you. They will have time to call you in the evening they arrive.

No cell phones or other means of wireless communication are allowed on trips. If students bring a cell phone, they will be provided with a safe place to store their phone for the duration of their trip, and their phone will be returned to them afterwards. You will not be able to reach your child via cell phone during the trip. If there is an emergency and you need to reach your child, please call the DOC Trips Director at 603-646-3996 and we can deliver any urgent messages.