Summer send-offs are an excellent way for alumni to help new students become acquainted with some of the traditions at Carleton, for incoming first-year students to meet fellow current students, and for parents to connect with other parents sending their children off to Carleton. These events are full of fun socializing and information sharing, and we hear every year from parents and incoming first-year students that these events helped ease any anxiety about heading off to Northfield. 

Suggestions for Planning a Summer Send-Off

How volunteers can help

  • Help find a location
  • Get in touch with the Alumni Admissions Representatives in your area to see if they would like to be involved
  • Help with messaging
  • Encourage their friends to attend
  • Serve as greeters or speakers during the event

Event Venue

Summer send-offs ideally are held at a local park or other public space. If you are struggling to find a venue, reaching out to parents who have attended the send-offs in the past can often open up a new network of possibilities. 

Wherever you host the event, we encourage you to have:

  • A table where people can sign in and pick up name tags
  • Lots of Carleton signage and other memorabilia to make the venue look festive

Event Format

Summer send-offs don’t need to have any type of elaborate program, but we encourage the hosts to find a time to welcome everyone and to let people know that you are there to answer questions should people have them.

Food is an important component of summer send-offs. Depending on the venue, different options may work better than others:

  • Potluck – Potlucks are a great way to ensure that there will be enough food while not putting all of the burden on the hosts. Hosts typically assign menu items based on the first letter of people’s last names (or something similar).
    • Many events will state that incoming first-years and their parents are guests and need not bring any food. It is important to think about how many incoming first-years might attend vs. other students and alumni to make sure there will be enough food for everyone.
  • BBQ – BBQs are always fun gatherings, and work particularly well if the host(s) are willing to provide the meat (and vegetarian option!) and other accoutrements while asking other attendees to bring sides, desserts, and beverages. Of course BBQs can also work in a more potluck-style fashion, assigning different items to people through various means of selection.
  • Provide Your Own  Food – If the send-off is being held in a local restaurant, it can often be easiest to have everyone pay for things on their own. If possible, it is nice if the hosts can order a few appetizers for people to snack on, but this is certainly not required.
  • Beverages – Because these events are focused on incoming first-year students, we ask that hosts refrain from serving alcohol at the summer send-offs.

What if you live in an area with low numbers of new or returning students?

Summer is still a great time to host an event for Carls of all ages!

For over 20 years Carls in Houston have found great success hosting an “all-class” picnic every summer. This event is aimed at Carls of all ages, and attendees often range from the most recent grads to folks who have been out for 50+ years.

The volunteer roles, venue, and event format are the same as they would be for a summer send-off. You are still welcome to invite incoming first-year students and current students, and the Office of Alumni Relations is happy to provide a list of those students so you can personally reach out to those students to encourage them to attend (unlike an area with large numbers of new and returning students, you may actually be able to personally reach out to the number of students you have in your area).