Falcon Programs offers leadership opportunities

Whether it is an on-campus event or an international service experience, Falcon Programs is now in its third year of offering students a growing series of entertaining and educational programs while providing professional development opportunities for student programmers.

“Falcon Programs prides itself on offering a variety of educational, philanthropic, and entertainment opportunities to meet the needs of all students on campus,” said Office of Student Life Events Coordinator Karyn Wells.

Falcon Programs is a programming board for students by students. Every program is planned by a student, or committee of students, to ensure that program offerings reflect the interests of all UW-River Falls students.

Since its beginning in 2009, Falcon Programs has developed consistent programming with the establishment of series such as weekend program opportunities: the Get on the Bus program, Open Mic, Bingo programs, as well as many other successful and entertaining events. Due to the events popularity, Falcon Programs is also planning to continue the Radd Jazz Series Landmark Center event that was held in December. The event provided bus transportation to and from the Historic Landmark Center, located in downtown St. Paul.

“This was an extremely successful event, with nearly 400 participants in attendance, and was a testament to the type and caliber of program that excites UWRF students,” said Wells.

Students on the programming board are responsible for planning, organizing, and implementing all aspects of an activity or event. Regardless of their position on the board, programmers have had a variety of future career plans ranging from teaching to marketing to art.

“This not only makes our programs as purposeful as possible, but also provides incredible professional career experience for the students on the Falcon Programs team,” said Wells.

Besides offering events and weekend activities, Falcon Programs has also established a series of service and social justice educational opportunities.

Previously known as the Social Justice Series, The Peer Empowerment and Community Education (PEACE) program is an educational initiative offered by Falcon Programs.

“PEACE offers the UWRF campus and community an opportunity for conversations that help build cultural competency and engaged community membership,” said Office of Student Life Sociocultural Coordinator Ashley Olson.

Three PEACE dialogue tracks will be taking place this spring with a total of 63 participants.

“The Destination Program at UWRF, started in 2006, fosters socially responsible community members through active and intentional civic engagement opportunities,” said Office of Student Life Leadership Training Coordinator Amy Lloyd.

“The program started out as a spring break program with national trips, but has since expanded to international and local experiences and will debut a regional partnership next year. These programs are heavily student led and will continue to improve on their social justice/ social issue education. You can expect to connect with a cohort of students who care about making positive change,” said Lloyd.

Campus Traditions Programmer Maranda Mahr has helped bring campus traditions such as Freeze Fest to life, and will now be introducing Free Popcorn Fridays, a weekly opportunity for students to learn more about upcoming weekend events.

“I think FP has had a lot of growth in confidence and being intentional with their programming. There have been a lot of new programs that have been built and FP has built a strong diverse set of programs. A lot of programs such as Freeze Fest, PEACE dialogues and weekend programming are being built into traditions,” said Mahr.

Students interested in applying for a position with Falcon Programs can apply online with The Office of Student Life. The deadline for applications is March 2 at 12 p.m.

“As a student, you have the opportunity to be part of something bigger that impacts the whole student body. You get to work as a team with dynamic people on impactful programming. There’s something for everyone,” said Lloyd.

More information about Falcon Programs and upcoming events and opportunities can be found at http://uwrf.orgsync.com/org/falconprograms or by contacting The Office of Student Life at (715)-425-4444.