The Activate Program

What Does Activate Provide? 

1 to 1 Success Coaching 

Individual coaching meetings allow coaches to meet the student where they are at and provide tailored support. Success coaches are staff members and graduate fellows. At most, first-year students meet with a coach weekly for a 30-minute session. Students can meet with a coach throughout their whole time at Merrimack but meeting frequency will vary student to student. 

Topics covered in coaching include: 

• Navigating the social landscape of college
• Executive functioning and time management
• Academic readiness skills
• The residential experience
• Self advocacy
• Career Readiness

Activate Ambassadors 

Upperclassmen students serve mentors for the first-year students, thus providing support for our new students and serving as a safe first-job experience for our returning students.

The Activate Ambassador positions are offered only to students in the Activate program and provide a safe and welcoming first-job experience. The student is supervised by an ASO staff member and will meet regularly to discuss important job readiness skills, work 

communication and understanding expectations, time management skills in a work environment. Activate Ambassadors plan social events, academic workshops, conduct regular outreach to our first-year students and participate in regular professional development. 

The added benefit of this position is for the new Activate members to have a peer to turn to and learn from. 

Social Events 

Social events occur weekly through our game nights and other special programming planned by Activate staff and Ambassadors. Social programming is intended to help students build connections with others and promote critical social skills including flexibility and communication 

Past social events include: 

• Movie nights
• Mario kart tournaments
• Jeopardy
• Paint nights
• Music Bingo
• Study Groups
• Virtual game nights

First-Year Workshops 

Throughout the first semester, our first-year students are invited to join us for bi-weekly workshops on important academic and transition-related topics. 

Activate hosts a series of bi-weekly workshops to support our new students in adjusting to college-level academics and expectations. Our workshops help students acclimate to campus life and sets each student up for a successful and fulfilling college experience. 

Workshop topics include: 

• Time management
• Campus resources
• Studying strategies
• Academic skills
• The college transition

Career Readiness Support 

Activate students will receive career preparation support through individual coaching, as well as tailored career readiness workshops. 

In partnership with the O’Brien Center for Career Development, Activate hosts a number of tailored career readiness workshops throughout the year to support students in finding and securing jobs and internships. 

Past workshops include: 

• Resumes and Cover Letters
• Interviewing
• Navigating the Unspoken Rules of the Workplace
• Networking
• Workplace Accommodations and Disability Disclosure

Acclimate with Activate: Summer Transition and Early Arrival Program 

During the summer prior to their first-year, students can participate in our Summer Transition Program that includes seven weeks of virtual workshops on resources and transitional topics. This is followed by the opportunity to move onto campus two days before the rest of the first-year class and participate in a one-day orientation with the Activate team. 

Workshop topics include: 

• The College Transition
• Academic Resources Accommodations
• Student Wellness
• Living on Campus
• Activate Peer Mentor Panel
• Building Connections on Campus