The CAST POWER Program
The CAST POWER Program supports recipients of the Emerging Leaders and Nebraska Achievement Scholarships and other invited first-year students interested in maximizing their success during the first year.
The CAST POWER Program includes enrollment and participation in a weekly zero-credit seminar, academic success coaching, and events designed to support college success both in and out of the classroom. The course covers topics on finding your purpose, supporting your well-being, getting connected to organizations and peers on campus, and more! Sections are offered on various days and times to fit the rest of your course schedule.
Optional: Four-Day Foundational Event
One feature of the POWER program is an optional Four-Day Foundational Event. The Four-Day Foundational Event gives you an opportunity to arrive on campus early and participate in a full schedule of activities designed to help you build friendships, connect to staff and faculty, visit campus resources, and learn tips on how to successfully navigate the college experience.
Led by success coaches and upper-class student peer mentors, the Foundational Event includes small group activities on academic, social, and emotional well-being and identity along with tours, scavenger hunts, and time to run needed campus errands before other students move in. By the end of the Foundational Event, students will feel more confident and comfortable on campus, having built friendships that carry into the fall semester.
The Foundational Event runs from Sunday, August 17 – Thursday, August 20. We will kick things off with an opening ceremony the evening of Sunday, August 17. Family and friends are welcome. If you're living on-campus, you'll get priority move-in on Sunday, August 17. If you're living off campus, you'll join us for all on-campus activities and events.
Note: While the Four-Day Foundational Event is free, students are required to participate in all four days. Students who move in early but do not participate fully in orientation activities may be charged additional housing and dining costs.