This November, MICC College participants flocked to Woodlake to register for spring semester electives!
The Electives Fair is an exciting event where participants can learn about all the different elective class offerings available. With their spring schedules in-hand, participants move from table to table to hear about offerings in music, fitness, crafting, cinema, art, games, and more, then make their selections!
Social Engagement Manager Sam Sack shares, “Electives are weekly, structured offerings where participants practice social skills while receiving feedback in a safe environment. Participants are able to create connections through shared experiences around common interests. College participants are required to take 1 TEACH (Technology, Environment, Art, Community, Hobby) and 2 physical fitness and health electives.”
Each semester, the Social Engagement Program Manager plans the Elective Fair with the help of the Electives Instructor. The ideas for each semester’s electives are chosen from participants’ own suggestions and ideas for topics they find enjoyable! This year’s electives fair was exclusively for College participants. Some of the classes offered at this semester’s fair included: Music Composition and Recording Techniques, Cinema through the Decades, Team Sports, Rock Band, Outdoor Recreation, Modern Mythology, Lego Masters, Crafting, the Participant Ambassador Program, Outdoor Survival and more!
Community participants who opt into social engagement access on their service agreement are also able to sign up for electives. They can choose from the entire list for electives and are not restricted to a certain number of TEACH vs Physical fitness and health. Community participants had the opportunity to staff the tables to assist with class offerings and registration at the Electives fair, and sign up for their own electives at a later date. Community participant Jordan volunteered as a Rock Band table volunteer: “Some of us community members were asked to ‘sell’ the electives, but I got lucky. Rock Band sells itself!”
Participants eagerly stepped from table to table to hear about their options and register. Once registered, some participants began a dance party to the music which helped create a fun atmosphere for those arriving later to sign up!
When asked about their favorite electives, participants shared the following:
- Maggie: “This semester was Ambassadors, and I really enjoyed History Theatre.”
- Jordan: “Obviously, Rock Band, Modern Mythology is a good one too!”
- Taylor: “The Yoga elective is very relaxing. Perfect thing to end my week!”
- Lindsey: “I like the Science elective. We get to do experiments and have fun.”
- Nick: “Storytelling is good, it’s a big one this year.”
Sam believes that the value of electives is the opportunity for participants to come together and share interests and hobbies with each other. She explains, “Particularly College participants like the intertwine of the mixed programs (College and Community programs together) since all of their daytime curriculum classes are with the same people from the same year level.” Spending time with Community participants is also a great opportunity for College participants to see what life after MICC graduation is like!
Learn more about the social program at MICC on our College program page: https://www.micc.org/bulldog-life/college-life/