As the school year gets underway and students settle into their new homes, Brock University’s Welcome Wagon is heading out into the community to spend time with Niagara’s newest residents.

On Saturday, Sept. 10, Brock staff, alumni and student volunteers, along with local community representatives, will go door to door to speak with students and other residents in popular student neighbourhoods. In addition to the Brock contingent, the Welcome Wagon team will include Thorold Mayor Terry Ugulini and members of Thorold council, and representatives from the Niagara Regional Police Service, Regional Municipality of Niagara and St. Catharines Bylaw Enforcement.

The group will answer questions and discuss with students the importance of being good neighbours in their new community, making responsible choices while living off campus and understanding their rights and responsibilities as student tenants. They will also hand out 750 bags filled with resources on topics such as student housing, waste management, volunteering and responsible partying.

“We’re excited to welcome students back to our community and to help them get their school year off to a positive start,” said Amber Scholtens, Brock’s Interim Director, Student Life and Success. “We want to encourage our new and returning Badgers to be responsible, civic-minded neighbours who do their part to foster a strong sense of community and respect amongst students and Niagara residents.”

Included in the information kits delivered to homes will be Brock’s annual Good Neighbour Guide, which provides helpful information about neighbourhood relations and getting involved in the community.

“Students have the opportunity to have a considerable impact during their time in Niagara, and we want to help them to do that in the best way possible,” Scholtens said. “There are few things more rewarding than making a difference in the community you call home.”

On the same day the Welcome Wagon is out in neighbourhoods, more than 100 Brock students, employees and alumni will also be out in the community volunteering at organizations across Niagara for Brock Cares Day of Service.

To continue the community conversation beyond the weekend, Brock’s Off-Campus Living team will host a series of workshops and information sessions in September and October that focus on welcoming students to the Niagara region, living off-campus and promoting good neighbour behaviours. Sessions will be added to the Student Life ExperienceBU page as information becomes available.

For more information on the Welcome Wagon, visit Brock’s Neighbourhood Relations web page.