2. 1
Table of Contents
Preparing the Visit
Prep Checklist
Prep Resources
3-8
3
4-8
Elementary School Activities
Mingle Mingle Mingle
Piper Spirit
Step to the Core
Blobs
Soulmates
9-12
9
9-10
10-11
11
12
Middle School Activities
This of That
Small Group Question Competition
Pictionary Relay
The Big Wind Blows
13-17
13-14
15
15-16
16-17
Early High School Activities
Note Card Matching Recap
“Problem Solver”- Collaborative Research
Application Requirements Matching Activity
Application Requirements Charades
18-20
18
18-19
19
20
Late High School Activities
Hamline Checklist
Ask a Counselor
21-22
21
21-22
All Ages
Beach Ball Question & Answer
Ask a Piper
Note Card Reflections
23-24
23
23
24
Presentations
College Tips
Hamline Services
Hamline Leadership
STEM Focus
25
Tour Route Components 26-27
3. 2
Full Tour
Highlights Tour
Age Modifications
26
26
27
Post Tour
Group Leader
Hamline Experience Coordinator
Tour Guides
28-29
28
29
29
Conflict Management Tips
Communicating with Space & Event Management
Late, Lost or Cancelled Group Visits
Complaints
30
Preparing the Visit
4. 3
Prep Checklist
❏ Accept Google Calendar Invitation from Hamline Experience Coordinator
❏ Note the date, start time, end time, length of tour and activity session, start
location, end location, number of students and age range of students- See
Prep Resources Section, Item #1
❏ Check to see if the group has any special requests
❏ This may impact what activities you choose or adapt
❏ May need to find speakers for presentation
❏ Write a tour route
❏ Include start and ending location
❏ Include time constraints
❏ Include locations and highlights to note at each location
❏ Should tailor each tour for every group’s needs
❏ See Prep Resources Section, Item #2
❏ Create a presentation plan
❏ Should be tailored to special requests
❏ Can add more activities to the guide
❏ See Prep Resources Section, Item #3
❏ Gather materials needs for presentation & activity session, add to activities box
❏ Create a welcome sign
❏ See Prep Resources Section, Item #4
❏ Print welcome sign, activity plan & tour guide plan
❏ Pick up group tour itinerary from front desk
❏ Grab handouts as needed or requested
❏ Get prizes from storage and add to activities box
❏ Handwrite a thank you card & add to activities box
❏ Set up presentation room before tour
❏ Make sure screens and computers are working
❏ Make sure room is clean & furniture is set appropriately
❏ Turn on lights
❏ Set-up materials for activities
5. 4
Prep Resources
1. Google Calendar
Google Calendar is a tool that the Hamline Experience Coordinators will use to
communicate the event details of each group tour. The Google Calendar event
will provide important information like the name of the group, the age and number
of students, the starting location of the tour, the ending location of the tour, the
location of the activity session and the group contact.
The Hamline Experience Coordinators expect that the leader of the activity
session RSVP to the Google event so they know you are available, also so you
have access to the event on your calendar.
Below is an example of what a Google Calendar event will look like for a group
tour and activity session. *Note that on the right side of the screen there is a
section that is labelled “Guests”. This section tells who has been invited to the
event and a check mark means that the person has RSVPed yes to attending.
6. 5
2. Tour Route Template
Most group tours will have tours that will be half an hour in length. Some groups
will make special requests of what they would like to see. Other groups, such as
elementary school groups or middle school groups will be interested in different
parts of campus than high school students. Ultimately, the goal of a tour route
should first be to be memorable and fun for the age group and second, the tour
should fit in the allotted time span. With each group tour it is important to
establish a tour route that fits the groups needs, and then communicate this route
with the tour guides so everyone is on the same page.
Thus, it is very helpful to create a “Tour Route Guide” for condensed tours that
can be shared with tour guides prior to their tour. Below is an example template
of a tour route guide that can also be found in the Group Tours “Resources”
Google Drive folder. For more advice on tour routes, see the tour routes section
on pages 26-27.
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3. Activity Plan Template
The main goal of group activity sessions is to provide a unique visit experience
that is tailored to each group and will be a fun and educational college
experience. Most groups will be tenth grade or below, at this point in life students
are not ready for an hour long information session about a college. Instead, the
goal of an activity session should be to provide students with tools and resources
to help them start navigating their own personal college search process in a fun
and memorable way.
In order to create personalized visits for each group, it is necessary to create an
activity plan that outlines which activities a group will be doing in the half an hour
they are given. Activity ideas can be pulled from the activity guide found on
pages 9 to 24 and new activities or presentations can also be added to meet
specific requests from visitors.
A template for an activity plan can be found in the Group Tours “Resources”
Google Drive folder. Below is an image of the template.
8. 7
4. Welcome Sign Template
Often times, it is a groups first time visiting Hamline, so coming to campus and finding
the tour start location can be difficult and confusing. To make the lives of visiting group
leaders easier, it is a great idea to meet the group at the designated starting location
with a personalized welcome sign.
Most of the time groups will meet at the Bishop or in the Bush Center lobby. If a group
can pull up to the Bishop, and see their name on a sign, then they know they are in the
right place. This saves time and helps the group to feel a warm Hamline welcome!
Templates for group welcome signs can be found in the Group Tours “Resources”
Google Drive folder. Below is an image of a welcome template.
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Elementary School Activities
Mingle Mingle Mingle
Time: 5-10 minutes
Materials: Hamline Spirit Megaphone
Purpose: Make college education a relatable topic for younger audiences.
Directions: In a moment but not yet, we are all going to stand up and start moving
around the room “mingling”. You can even sing a little song “Mingle Mingle Mingle”
while you move. When I yell “Hamline!”, you have to respond by yelling “Pipers!” and
then you have to FREEZE and LISTEN! When you’re frozen, I’m going to call out some
like “What’s your favorite school subject?” And you have to find as many people as you
can who have the same favorite school subject. Then we’ll share around the room to
every group to see what each group represents.
1. What’s your favorite subject in school?
2. What’s your favorite activity outside of school?
3. What’s your favorite thing to do with friends?
4. Where’s your favorite place to work on homework?
5. What’s your favorite food?
Relate each question to something about Hamline. For example, have the tour guides
talk about their favorite class at Hamline. Show some pictures of some of the cool
activities we have on campus. Talk about some of the food we have in the cafeteria.
Tips: Participate with the students and join their little groups. Notice when a student
may be lost or alone and engage with them by asking them the question again and help
them find a group, or create a group with them! Give a warning when you are on your
last question and be aware of time.
Piper Spirit
Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: Hamline Spirit Megaphones, Hamline Pom-Poms, Paper & Markers
Purpose: To give students an idea of what college spirit looks like and connect to
traditions and activities on campus.
Directions: In a moment, but not yet, everyone should go find the tour guide that
showed them around campus. Once you are in your group, you will have 3 minutes to
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come up with a Hamline cheer with your guide! You can be as creative as you want, but
make sure your cheer is appropriate and everyone’s ideas are included! Okay, Go!
After they share their cheers, talk briefly about Hamline athletics and Hamline Traditions
like Homecoming, The Late Night Study Breakfast & The Haunted Hallway.
Tips: It helps to have pictures up on a screen when you debrief about Hamline athletics
and traditions. Students also enjoy personal stories, but make them appropriate and
brief.
Step to the Core
Time: 5-10 minutes
Materials: A positive attitude :)
Purpose: To help younger students relate to college students and help them envision
themselves as a college student someday.
Directions: Everyone stand up in the circle! I am going to read several statements out
loud. If that statement is true for you, take a step into the circle. Then you can look
around and see who else has that same similarity. You can even see what you have in
common with our Hamline students! After a few seconds you can step back to your
place and I will read the next statement.
Step to the core if…
1. … you learned something new today.
2. … you have a teacher that you really like.
3. … you have fun in school.
4. … if sometimes your homework is hard.
5. … if you have homework assignments that you really enjoy.
6. … if you like to read.
7. … if you like to write.
8. … if you like math.
9. … if you like science.
10.… if you like art.
11.… if you like gym.
12.… if you like social studies.
13.… if you can speak another language.
14.… if you like ____ grade.
15.… if you had fun at Hamline today.
*Only ask as many as you have time to, or the have the attention span for, but end with
#15.
12. 11
Debrief: What are some of the statements that you noticed you had in common with
one of the college students? What do you think are some differences between the
school you are at now and college? What do you think is similar?
You all bring up really great observations! There are many differences between your
school now and college, but there are also lots of similarities! So, hopefully this activity
can help you feel like you can be one of these college students someday!
Tips: Debriefing is very important for this activity, so make sure to leave at least 3-5
minutes for debriefing.
Blobs
Time: 5 minutes
Materials: A smile :)
Purpose: To help younger students reflect on their tour and ask lingering questions.
Directions: First, I want everyone to answer this question silently in their head; What
was your favorite part of tour today? Okay, now I want you to get up and find other
people in the room who had the same or very similar favorite part about the tour today.
In two minutes I will yell “Hamline” and you will yell back “Pipers”, and you will FREEZE
and LISTEN. Then we will go around and share what your favorite parts of tour were. If
you also liked something that one of the group’s mentions, you can do a little dance in
place so show that you agree!
Once all of the groups has shared, we will sit down and I will answer any questions you
may still have about the tour.
Tips: To make this a more difficult activity you can add challenges like, everyone must
be silent.
Soulmates
Time: 5 minutes
Materials: Fingers for snapping or clapping
13. 12
Purpose: To help younger students reflect on their tour and find common group with
other students.
Directions: Everyone please stand up and form a circle! Now, we are going to go
around in a circle and share what we liked about tour today. I will start and then
everyone will get to share one thing that you liked about the tour today. You can repeat
what someone else said, but I encourage you to think of something different if you can!
Here’s the catch, after you share one thing that you liked if other members of the circle
liked the same thing they can step into the circle and say “Soulmates”. Then they will
snap or clap and step back into their place in the circle and we will move to the next
person.
After everyone shares: I’m so glad everyone liked a few different things about tour
today, now we are going to do some other activities to teach you more about college
and more about Hamline!
Tips: Also show an example of stepping forward and saying “Soulmates” so the group
knows what to mimic. Participate along with the group and step in as well!
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Middle School Activities
This of That
Time: 10-15 minutes
Materials: Projector & Screen
Purpose: This activity will help students to think about some things that they can start
to think about as they are touring colleges.
Directions: Everyone will start in the middle of the room. I will say two statements and
assign a side of the room for each statement. If you agree with one of the statements,
please move to that side of the room. If you can’t decide between the statements, you
may stay in the center of the room. After you all choose a side, we will talk about how
this decision relates to making a decision of what colleges you will apply to and
ultimately attend.
Statements: I prefer...
○ Big Classes (40+ students) or Small Classes (30 and below)
■ Average class sizes can make a big difference on how you learn,
because everyone learns differently. Some colleges have classes
that have over 400 students in them, while other colleges may have
smaller class sizes. Hamline’s typical class size is between 18-22
students.
○ City or small town
■ You can find colleges all over the country, in many different
locations. Some people prefer small towns because of safety,
security, community, location, outdoor activities, potential lower
cost of living and other benefits. Other people prefer the “hustle and
bustle” or opportunities cities have to offer. When looking at
colleges, it is important to think about the location of the college so
you can figure out what is best for your future and goals.
○ Small campus (less than 10,000 students) or a big campus (over 10,000
students)
■ Campuses are very unique all across the United States. Smaller
campuses offer a sense of community and can be easier to find
your way around. Larger campuses can be very exciting and full of
new experiences. Ultimately, touring a school will give you a good
feel for whether or not you like the structure and feeling of campus.
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Hamline has around 2,000 undergraduate students and a smaller
campus that is only a few blocks around.
○ lectures or group discussion
■ When looking at schools it is important to ask what a typical class is
like at each school. Some schools will have more lecture based
classes in which the professor talks for an hour or more to teach it.
Other colleges have more classes in which the students get to
interact with the professors by asking questions and sharing
thoughts. At Hamline there are some lecture classes, but the
majority of classes incorporate group discussion.
○ hands-on experience or classroom time
■ Another thing to think about is how do you learn best? Do you learn
best by listening to a teacher in class? Or do you learn best when
you can get hands-on experience outside of the classroom? In
college there are many ways to get hands-on experience by either
completing research, an internship, a job related to the field you are
studying, a service learning project, studying abroad, student
teaching, volunteering in a related field, and being apart of a similar
club or organization. There are so many possibilities, so be sure to
ask each college you visit what the opportunities are like at that
particular school. At Hamline all students complete a hands-on
learning experience with either an internship, research project,
service learning project or student teaching.
○ Dorms or off-campus
■ In college you often have to figure out where you want to live,
especially if you are planning on going to a college away from your
home. When you are thinking about college living it is important to
consider how many students live on campus? How many students
live off-campus? What is the price to live on campus compared to
the price of living off-campus? Which environment is a better place
for me to live? At Hamline, about 60% of students live on-campus
and the majority of those students are first year students. Also,
Hamline doesn’t require students to live on-campus any of the
years they attend, so the decision is really based on what’s best for
you as an individual.
○ Starbucks or Subway
■ This is just a fun question to see where you all fall! Also, because
we have both a Starbucks and a Subway on campus where
students can eat and hang out!
16. 15
Tips: To make this activity more interactive, you can ask the students how each of
these categories relate to finding the best college for you.
Small Group Question Competition
Time: 5 minutes
Materials: pens, paper, prizes
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to ask more questions and build off of each
other’s ideas and curiosities.
Directions: In a moment but not yet, I will separate you into groups of about 5 students.
Each group will receive a piece of paper and a pen. You will have 2 minutes to write
down as many questions as they can about Hamline, college life, and applying to
college. These questions will be answered later during the information session. Here’s
the catch, the group with the most questions will get a prize, and if a group can stump
me, they will also get a prize.
Tips: Give a few example questions, and make sure that they understand that the
questions are not personal questions unless they are asking why you choose to come to
Hamline.
Pictionary Relay
Time: 15 minutes
Materials: large piece of paper, markers
Purpose: This game will connect Hamline values using images. And it’s fun too!
Directions: In a moment but not yet, I will split you up into teams of about 5 students.
Each team will be given a large piece of paper and a few markers. This game is like
pictionary, but you are competing against other teams instead of competing with
members of the same group. I will have a list of a few items. One representative from
each group will come up to me and at the same time I will give you all the first item. You
will then go back and draw that item on your piece of paper. The drawer CANNOT talk
or use letters or numbers in the drawing. So, your group members must guess what you
are drawing based on an image. Once someone in your group has guessed correctly,
they will come back up to me and whisper what the item was the their teammate drew.
Then I will give them the next item on the list. This process will repeat until one group
17. 16
has guessed all of the items correctly. That group is the winner! Everything on the list
relates to Hamline.
○ After the game, we will go over how each of the words is connected to
Hamline.
○ List of words:
■ Community Service (Community Service & Social Justice)
■ Experiment(s) (Research Opportunities)
■ Passport (Study Abroad Opportunities)
■ Sleep (Dorms)
■ Clock (Scheduling)
■ Money (Financial Aid)
■ Puppy (De-stress Puppies in Library)
■ Briefcase (Work-- Career Development Center & Internships)
■ Paint Brush (Fine Arts at Hamline)
■ Statue (Hamline History)
Tips: When you are going over how each word relates to Hamline, it may be helpful to
have images to show as examples.
The Big Wind Blows
Time: 10 minutes
Materials: chairs or poly dots or shoes (something that represents a place marker),
multiple college students
Purpose: This activity can be adapted to be a post tour reflection, a get to know you
game, or an activity to find similarities with college students.
Directions: In a moment but not yet, everyone will grab a place marker and then stand
in a circle with the place marker at your feet. I will stand in the circle and say “The big
wind blows if…” and then I will end something that I either liked about tour, I like about
Hamline, or I like about school. For example, I could say, “The big wind blows if you
liked seeing the athletic facilities on tour today” or “The big wind blows if you love taking
math classes.” Now, when I say this, if the statement is true for you, you must leave
your place marker and find another open place marker. However, I will also be looking
for an open place marker to get out of the center, so one person will not have a spot
(like musical chairs). The person that doesn’t find a spot is now in the middle and will
say “The big wind blows if…” and a statement of what they liked about tour or what they
like about school. And the process will repeat!
18. 17
Tips: Remind students that they cannot touch other students, so they can’t push their
classmates out of the way. Likewise, they can run, but they must be very careful and not
run into other people or this will become a walking game.
19. 18
Early High School Activities
Postcard Matching Recap
Time: 10 minutes
Materials: postcards with Hamline Questions written on the back
Purpose: To recap tours & presentations at the end of a visit.
Directions: In a moment I will hand everyone a postcard that looks like this (hold up
postcard). Now, some postcards have a question on them and for every question there
is a notecard with the corresponding answer. Your task is to find the person that has the
postcard that goes with yours. Hint: the postcards should have matching photos on the
front. (Hand out postcards). Go! After all of the students have found a match, go through
the questions and answers to make sure they are correct.
Tips: Walk around the room as students are moving around, check in to see if anyone
needs help or has any questions.
“Problem Solver”- Collaborative Research
Time: 10 minutes
Materials: paper, pens
Purpose: To prompt students to think about problems and questions that they would
like to explore via research.
Directions: Here at Hamline, many students get to learn by conducting their own
research in whatever field they are interested in studying more in depth. Students can
conduct research over the summer as a full time paid job, or they can conduct research
during the school year for credits. Here are a few examples of the research projects
Hamline students have done in the past:
● Exploring the Function of Genes Identified as Potential Drivers of
Colorectal Cancer
● X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy Analysis of Fort Union Trade Beads
● Does the addition of protein to a mixed carbohydrate supplement improve
performance and recovery in high intensity cycling?
20. 19
In a moment I will divide you into groups of 5-6 students and each group will be given a
pencil and a piece of paper (or a postcard). As a group you will be brainstorming ideas
for potential research projects that they could turn into collaborative research proposals
as a Hamline student. Each group should first think of 2-3 questions or problems you
would like to solve as a group (Engineering, Innovation, Science Research,
Technology). Then as a group, pick the top problem to solve. I will give you 5 minutes to
think of ideas and discuss as a group then each group will share their ideas.
Tips: Bounce around from group to group to check in and see if any of the groups need
help or a brain boost!
Application Requirements Matching Activity
Time: 10 minutes
Materials: Posters and postcards labeled application requirement game, tape
Purpose: To allow students to better understand application requirements in a fun and
interactive way.
Directions: On the walls around the room I have put up signs that have various
admission application requirements. (Signs read: GPA, SAT/ACT, ESSAYS, CORE
CLASSES, REFERENCES, EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, ELECTIVES,
APPLICATION). Now, I will hand out postcards to each of you (or if it’s a large group,
pairs or small groups). On each postcard there is a tip or applying to college. You will
each read your tip silently, and then move to the area around the poster that you think
your tip relates to. Once everyone has found a spot by a poster, we will share the tips
and as a group we will decide if you are in the right spot! After we are done sharing, you
can sit back down and you will have a chance to ask questions.
Tips: To add an element of fun and competition, you can time the group to see how
long it takes them to 1) get to a sign and 2) get in the correct location (if they are wrong,
tell them they are incorrect, but don’t tell them where to go). The facilitator should also
have a key with all of the answers in case a card is in the wrong place or is missing.
Application Requirements Charades
Time: 15 minutes
21. 20
Materials: Postcards labelled: GPA, SAT/ACT, ESSAYS, CORE CLASSES,
REFERENCES, EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, ELECTIVES, APPLICATION
& Prizes
Purpose: To help students understand and remember application requirements in an
interactive and unique way. Can also test students knowledge of admission
requirements, to give the facilitator an idea of what holes need to be filled.
Directions: I have 8 postcards in my hand that have some sort of typical admission
requirement that Hamline and other college may look for when you are applying. Now, I
am going to take 8 volunteers to each pick a postcard. DO NOT SHARE the card that
you pick! Each of the card holders will then come up to the front of the group and act out
the word or phrase that is on their card. Here’s the catch, THEY CANNOT TALK! So,
we are basically playing charades with college admission requirements. Once an
audience member has an idea of what the card says, shout it out! When someone is
correct, they will get a prize! (Our wonderful actors will also get a prize). Once we have
figured out all of the admission requirements, I will go over what they actually mean and
you will have some time to ask questions.
Tips: Depending on the group size, this activity can be done as individuals or in pairs or
small groups. This activity pairs well with the “College Tips” presentation.
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Late High School Activities
*Most of the school visits will be for students younger than 11th grade, so typically an
Admission Counselor would lead an hour long information session with junior or senior
students. However, if you are given an older group, here are a few activities to
incorporate.
Hamline Checklist
Time: 5 minutes
Materials: Pieces of paper with checklist boxes, question marks & lines (see template
for “Hamline Checklist”, pens
Purpose: To help late high school students reflect on their tour and visit experience,
does Hamline fit what they want? And to help identify some things that they need to
research further.
Directions: I will be handing out a checklist and pen to everyone in the group. Now, I
am going to give you two to three minutes to write down, or draw things that you saw on
tour today that “met” your college checklist. It may be the case that some of your checks
were not met or not answered on tour, so at the bottom please write down any
questions or things that you would like to know more about. You will keep these sheets
and they are for you, so I will not ask you to share. But, if you have any questions, feel
free to ask me when we have time for questions later.
Tips: Have an example checklist on the screen in the room to help students think of
ideas. When the group starts having side conversations, it is time to move to the next
activity.
Ask a Counselor
Time: 5 minutes
Materials: pens & info cards
Purpose: To connect junior and senior students who are interested in learning more
about Hamline with their admission counselor.
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Directions: Right now I am passing out information cards so you can be connected to
your admission counselor. If you are interested in learning more about Hamline, please
fill out the information card with your name, high school and some form of contact (email
or phone). If you have any questions for your admission counselor, feel free to write that
on the back of the card and they will get back to you as soon as possible. When you are
done filling out the card, please return it to me!
Tips: Let the students know they get to keep their pens! Also, encourage the students
to write clearly so their information is easy to read.
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All Age Activities
Beach Ball Question & Answer
Time: 5-10 minutes
Materials: Beach Ball with questions pre-written in Sharpie
Purpose: Fun way for students recap and reflect on what they saw on tour
Directions: Everyone stand in a circle. The person holding the beach ball is the only
person that can speak. We are going to pass the beach ball around the room and when
you catch it, first say your name, then read the question that is closest to your right
pointer finger. Finally, answer the question and pass the ball to another friend!
Tips: Blow up the ball before the students enter the room so everything is ready to go
the second the group arrives. Stand in the group and participate with the students.
Repeat student’s answers to the questions so everyone can hear the answer. Call out a
last three throws warning so you don’t have to end abruptly.
Ask a Piper
Time: 5-10 minutes
Materials: a Piper (Hamline Student) & prizes
Purpose: To give students an opportunity to talk with a current student and ask
questions about college and Hamline.
Directions: In the next __ minutes, I will be taking any questions you have about what
college is like, what my experience in college has been like, about applying for college
or anything about Hamline. Raise your hand when you have a question and I will call on
you! After I answer your question, you will get a prize!
Tips: When time for this activity is coming to an end, be sure to give the group a
warning like “Okay, only three more questions.” You can also hand out post-it notes if
some students prefer to write down their questions.
Note Card Reflections
25. 24
Time: 5 minutes
Materials: postcards & pens
Purpose: To help students reflect on their visit and give them a structured way to
remember the day.
Directions: I have a whole bunch of blank postcards laid out on this table up front. In a
moment I will call up individuals to come and pick a postcard and also grab a pen. Once
everyone has a postcard and a pen you can spread out around the room. On your
postcard I want you to try your best to answer 4 questions. I will give you about 5
minutes to write your answers. Your postcard is something that you will get to take
home as a reminder of what you did today at Hamline and how you felt about Hamline.
You will not be asked to share your postcard with anyone else, but if you still have
questions, feel free to ask me before you leave! Okay, are you ready for the four
questions?
1) What did I like about my visit today?
2) What didn’t I like about my visit today?
3) What about the visit made me excited to go to college?
4) What questions about college do I still have?
Tips: If possible, project the 4 questions on a screen. Remind students that they can
keep their pens. Encourage students to write down any other thoughts they had about
Hamline or college in general. To modify this for younger students you can encourage
them to write down three words to remind them of their visit. The words could also be
words that they feel represent Hamline or have to do with something they learned.
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Presentations
All presentations can be found in the “Presentations” folder within the “Group Tours”
folder in Google Drive. The presentation formats can be copied to be adapted or
changed.
It is helpful if the presenter adds their own introduction slide to each presentation.
College Tips
Time: 15 minutes
Age Group: 7-9th grade students
Purpose: To help younger student start preparing for college now with some tips that
are applicable to them.
What makes Hamline unique?
Time: 10 minutes
Age Group: Middle School & High School
Purpose: To quickly highlight a few memorable things about Hamline with a focus on
services that Hamline uniquely offers.
Hamline Leadership
Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Age Group: Middle School or High School
Purpose: To focus on leadership opportunities at Hamline university.
STEM Focus
Time: 15 to 20 minutes
Age Group: Upper Middle School & High School
Purpose: To teach students about the opportunities Hamline offers in STEM programs.
Tour Route Components
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Most group tours will be scheduled for half an hour instead of the normal full hour long
tours. In order to accommodate this change, certain parts of tour must be cut out. Below
are the tour locations used on a full tour, in the typical tour route order.
To create a highlights tour, it is best to choose 4-5 buildings to cover, not including the
building you will end in for the activity time. However, depending on the group’s needs,
tours can be modified to include what each group would like to see most.
Full Tour Route
Starting Point: The Bishop
1. Giddens Learning Center
2. Power Circle
3. Robbins Science
4. Anderson Center
5. Osborn
6. Bush Library
7. Drew Fine Arts
8. Walker Field House & Hutton Arena
Ending point: Wherever the group activity session is scheduled or where their bus will
pick them up.
Highlights Tour
Starting Point: The Bishop
1. Drew Fine Arts
2. Walker Field House & Hutton Arena
3. Giddens Learning Center
4. Power Circle
5. Robbins Science (Downstairs only)
6. Anderson Center
Ending point: Wherever the group activity session is scheduled or where their bus will
pick them up.
Age Modifications
Elementary SchoolAge: This group will be more receptive to stories than to facts.
Highlight experiences and stories of being a college student. This age group LOVES
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looking in the art gallery and the fieldhouse. Also, be sure to show this age group the
power circle and the golden telescope in Robbins.
Middle SchoolAge: This group will also be more receptive to stories, but you can
begin to weave in some facts. Middle school students like to guess numbers, so have
them guess when Hamline was founded, when Old Main was built, how many students
attend Hamline or what the average classroom size is. This group will love taking a
group picture, so great places for that are either at the Bishop of in GLC under the arch.
Be sure to show off Subway and Starbucks. If possible, have the students sit in a
classroom.
High SchoolAge: Chances are that this age group has visited other colleges before
so they may already ask about statistics. Be sure to still tie in some great stories and
share about some Hamline traditions and cool events. The Bishop and the Hamline sign
on Snelling are great places to take this age group for a group picture. This age group is
also old enough to grasp the idea of living independently, so highlighting the Anderson
Center and the dorms will be a good idea.
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Post Tour
Communication is key to keeping this program going and to improve upon the tours and
activity sessions. So, it is important to follow up with three people after each tour, 1) the
group leader, 2) the Hamline Experience Coordinator and 3) the tour guides.
Group Leader
Group leaders should ALWAYS be followed up with in two ways. First, a thank you card
should be written to each group and should be given to the leader as the group is
finishing up their last activity.
Second, after each visit a follow-up Google survey should be sent to the group leader
within 48 hours of the visit. A survey format can be found in the “Group Tours” Google
Folder under the “Resources” folder.
Below is an example of an email text to send with the Google form.
Hamline Experience Coordinator
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The Hamline Experience Coordinator should also be notified about how the tour group
session went. A quick recap of the event should suffice. In the email include highlights
from the tour and the information session, comments for the group leaders, anything
that went wrong and anything to be noted or changed for future groups. This email
should be sent within 24 hours after the group leaves.
Tour Guides
To maintain positive relationships and improve the group tour program, it is important to
debrief the event with tour guides. You can check-in in person or send an email or a
survey. Check in to see what went well, what can be improved upon and if the guides
need support in any way to prepare to future group tours.
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Conflict Management Tips
Occasionally, there will be hiccups with this program. In this section tips for preventing
conflict and policies to follow will help to minimize hiccups that have happened before.
Communicating with Space & Event Management
To prevent problems centered around the location of the group activity session, it is best
to check in with Space and Event Management the day before a visit. This can be done
by calling (651) 523-2474. In general, this is a good number to have programmed into a
cell phone in case something goes wrong with technology or the space during the
activity session.
The day of the group visit, arrive to the activity location at least 15 minutes early to set-
up technology and activities. Make sure the lights are on and the room is clean as well.
Late, Lost or Cancelled Group Visits
If groups are running late or are lost and call ahead, they will generally call the
Admission Office. Keep phones on incase the office needs to reach you.
If a group tour doesn’t show up after 5 minutes past their arrival time, call the Admission
Office. Someone in the office will attempt to get a hold of the group leader.
If the group has not come after 15 minutes and cannot be reached, call the Admission
Office again. After 30 minutes you may return to the office.
Complaints
Should any groups share verbal or written complaints, these concerns must be shared
with the Hamline Experience Coordinator. In some cases there is nothing to be done
about a complaint. However, complaints can also be used to improve future tours.
After talking with the Hamline Experience Coordinator about the complaint, it is
important that the person who made the complaint is contacted. Upon contacting the
person who made the complaint, it is important to 1) apologize 2) share how this
complaint will be fixed and avoided in the future and 3) thank them for their feedback.
