Thousands of incoming students will arrive at Brock University this weekend to mark the start of the school year.

Brock’s Welcome Week officially kicks off Sunday, Sept. 1 with the annual Move-In Day blitz, and continues throughout the following week with dozens of campus activities including BadgerFest 2019, a series of safe, inclusive and alcohol-free events hosted by the Brock University Students’ Union (BUSU).

Developed by a committee across campus made up of students, staff and faculty, Welcome Week is part of a series of transitional and orientation programs offered to incoming Brock students. It builds on highly successful summer programs such as Smart Start, LEAP and BaseCamp.

“For incoming and returning students, a new year brings new experiences, new challenges, new opportunities and new possibilities,” said Brad Clarke, Director, Student Life and Community Experience. “Our Welcome Week programming is designed to help students get off on the right foot, to make connections with their peers and build strong support networks. We want our students to feel a part of the Brock and Niagara communities, because we know that’s important to their success.”

BUSU President Bilal Khan said making those connections is key.

“A lot of the events are focused around new students connecting with their classmates and making new friends,” he said. “We want to help them create that new social circle, which goes a long way in their university career in terms of having a support network.”

After Move-In Day from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, incoming students will have their first residence dinner Sunday night, followed by a BadgerFest kickoff event that includes Live Burn, a demonstration by the St. Catharines Fire Department and Brock Campus Security that teaches students about fire safety. Sunday wraps up with a massive paint party in Weather Station Field.

On Monday, Sept. 2, students will be competing in the ‘Summer Games’ in Weather Station Field organized by Residence Services, followed by comedy night in Ian Beddis Gymnasium. Tuesday and Wednesday will see a massive Vendor Fair taking place, which will introduce students to more than 70 local businesses and various departments and activities on campus.

Wednesday night includes an outdoor movie and Mixed not Mangled, where students will learn more about staying safe and responsible while still enjoying themselves.

Faculties and departments across campus will also host orientation sessions Tuesday, with the first day of classes for the Fall Term starting Wednesday morning.

A new addition to the schedule will take place Friday night with a BadgerFest carnival in Weather Station Field featuring rides and games.

On Saturday, Sept. 7 hundreds of Brock students will give back to the community as part of Brock Cares, an annual day of volunteering and fundraising throughout the community. New this year, the City of St. Catharines will host a community barbecue from noon to 3 p.m. in the parking lot of Pen Centre for Brock students and area residents.

BadgerFest wraps up Saturday night with the Big Ticket Concert in Weather Station Field headlined by A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, a renowned hip-hop artist who has collaborated with the likes of Khalid, Ed Sheeran and Trey Songz. The concert is alcohol-free and will be wrapped up by 11 p.m.

“Throughout the summer our Vice-President of Student Services, Heidi Stricko and her team has been busy planning what I think is the best-ever BadgerFest programming for our students,” Khan said. “It’s about having fun and enjoying the experiences, but we want to communicate and promote all of the support services that are available on our campus to help students succeed and grow.”

For a full schedule of Brock’s Welcome Week activities, visit the ExperienceBU website.