Joanna Schneider '13
Student Director forBig Brother, Big Sister
Major: Sociology modified with Psychology; Minor in Chemistry
Other Campus Involvements: DOC; General Manager of Big Green Bus
Fun fact: She got involved in Big Brother, Big Sister in high school, over 7 years ago!
There are various opportunities for students to get involved with the SEAD Program. Sophomores are generally involved in volunteer positions, while juniors and seniors can apply for jobs in the summer.
Each year four Dartmouth students are hired to work with Program Director Jay Davis in the organization and implementation of the program. The group consists of an Student Director, typically a Dartmouth senior with significant experience working for SEAD, as well as three Assistant Student Directors, who are juniors and seniors with various SEAD backgrounds.
All Directors work throughout the spring to develop and prepare the many components of the program, including mentoring, tutoring, activities, and volunteer recruitment. The Directors help to monitor the academic performance of the SEAD students throughout the year. They also serve as the heads of the residential team during the summer and are a part of the student teaching teams while maintaining their administrative responsibilities
Applications are sent out to those previously involved with SEAD at the end of the Winter Term. If you are interested in this position, please e-mail SEAD@dartmouth.edu in the Winter term for more information.
Every summer fifteen Dartmouth students and alumni form the core of the SEAD staff. These individuals compose the residential and student teaching teams and are the individuals who have the most interaction with our students while they are here. Whether it is at breakfast in the morning, in class during the day, at one of the afternoon or evening activities, or at night before lights out, the staff members are working with the students most of the day.
SEAD staff members are motivated, energetic student leaders, who are interested in education and service. They must show an ability to work with peers in an environment of intense collaboration, and above all, an ability to work with high school students. Patience, generosity of spirit, a sense of humor and adaptability are characteristics that are needed to work with any group of adolescents and are a must for any of the program's workers.
Applications are sent out to those previously involved with SEAD at the end of the Winter Term. If you are interested in this position, please e-mail SEAD@dartmouth.edu in the Winter term for more information.
Understanding that two to three weeks each summer is a small part of a student's education, the SEAD program sends a Dartmouth undergraduate to each of its partner schools for eight to ten weeks every term (Fall, Winter and Spring). The SEAD Intern provides a great link between the program and the communities in which our students live. Working in our partner schools full-time, the intern spends much of the time assisting the school's faculty and administration in facilitating various projects around the school.
The intern also works with the program's students and helps with their academic progress. The intern meets with the students regularly and is able to bring back a wealth of information about the students and the schools that allows us to develop effective curricula for the following summer.
Please contact SEAD@dartmouth.edu for more information about available internship positions.
Mentoring is one of the unique components of SEAD that allows the program to thrive. Each year SEAD pairs individual students with a Dartmouth sophomore, and these relationships are where SEAD's mission truly comes alive. Mentors often comment on how SEAD is the most memorable part of their summer, and the SEAD students always look forward to the opportunity to form such unique relationships with their mentors. Being a student mentor requires a substantial commitment on the part of the Dartmouth student for the two or three weeks of the SEAD program. Nonetheless, the benefits of being a mentor are tremendous.
Mentors will be expected to keep in touch with their student after the program ends. For the duration of the program the mentor will be expected to spend up to ten hours a week with his/her SEAD student engaging in various activities.
Applications are sent out to the sophomore class via blitz at the beginning of Spring Term. If you are interested in this position, please e-mail SEAD@dartmouth.edu in the Spring term for more information.
The role of the Academic Coach is to serve as an academic role model and assistant to SEAD students during the summer program. Designed for those who feel most comfortable working with adolescents in an academic setting, the Academic Coach has the opportunity to work with SEAD students one-on-one throughout the summer program. In order to provide the educational support required of the position, the Academic Coach attends SEAD classes when possible, attends study halls, and has the opportunity to spend time with their SEAD student to share their own love of learning. Academic Coaches volunteer their time to help foster a positive attitude about learning not only here at SEAD, but also in school and elsewhere in the students' lives. While not as demanding a time commitment as being a SEAD Mentor, the Academic Coach is expected to work along with the Mentors to improve the SEAD experience for our participants.
Applications sent out to the sophomore class via blitz at the beginning of Spring Term. If you are interested in this position, please e-mail SEAD@dartmouth.edu in the Spring term for more information.
Outside of the SEAD classroom our students participate in a variety of social, cultural, and skill building programs. The members of the Activities, Skills and Spirit Crews work with the Assistant Student Directors to organize and facilitate the extra curricular events of the program. Much of the preparation begins in the spring when ideas are brainstormed and events are scheduled.
The Crews often utilizes the many talents, skills, and the overall generosity of the Dartmouth student body in providing our students with engaging and productive extra curricular programming. Events have ranged from playing Capture the Watermelon on the Hanover green and SEAD Olympics, to having workshops on how to illustrate cartoon flipbooks, to having discussions about issues concerning race and gender. Members of the Crews are usually creative, energetic, and outgoing individuals who firmly believe that much learning can take place outside the classroom as well as inside.
E-mail SEAD@dartmouth.edu in the beginning of Spring term for more information.
Additional student groups on campus provide activities, such as dance workshops, pick-up soccer games or a game night, and meals for SEAD as appropriate.
Meal Donations
Over 90% of Dartmouth fraternities, sororities and affinity houses have hosted meals and programming events for the high school students.
Athletics
Organize a game or small tournament for a group of SEAD students in the sport of your choice or offer to lead a class teaching students how to play a certain sport.
Camping
Take a group of 10 or so students on a hiking and/or camping trip. During certain years our students will go on overnight wilderness trips that culminate with an overnight stay at Mt. Moosilauke.
Crafts
Bring students to the jewelry, woodworking, or pottery studios.
Cultural Activities
Create and put on a play or cook a cultural dinner with a group of SEAD students. Perform or cook enough for just the SEAD program or a larger group!
Dance
Teach a group of SEAD students how to dance (hip-hop, swing, ballroom, break, square, etc.)
Photography
Take a group of students to a scenic area or along some trails and teach them how to take photographs.
Social
Feel free to work with our staff to plan an activity that you would like to share with our group that would allow the SEAD students to interact with Dartmouth students and with each other.
Summer Advisors work with Dartmouth student volunteers to support SEAD students. Summer Advisors serve the role of mentor/adult role model to individual SEAD students, and often work with the same student for four years.
Summer Advisors are asked to:
If you are interested in being a Summer Advisor, please email SEAD@dartmouth.edu.
SEAD students come up to Dartmouth once during the academic school year for a Reunion weekend and stay with host families from Hanover High School. Reunion Weekends give SEAD students the opportunity to reconnect with their mentors and one another and serve as a reminder of the focused, motivated work the students did during the summer and can do during the school year. The Reunion Weekends also help prepare the students for their upcoming summer with SEAD.
If you are interested in hosting SEAD students during a reunion weekend, please email SEAD@dartmouth.edu.
