Program ideas

Take two big sheets of paper and label Class, Subject, and Activity Under class the resident will put the class they are using the example from and…

A-Wall is a program designed to acknowledge academic excellence. When a resident gets an A on a test or on a quiz, she takes an A and hangs it in the…

Paper-Editing Party Paper-Editing Party We arranged a time for residents to come down to the lobby and enjoy pizza and other snacks while you swapped…

Choose a book per month and bring people together who have read the book to discuss it. Ask them questions about the book like why they liked it…

Brainteasers I went online and pulled out 15 riddles, some easy, some nearly impossible. Then I posted them all over the floor on a Sunday night. The…

A time for residents and staff to express their talents, enjoy coffee and treats, design a cultura square for our cultural quilt, relax, meet new…

This is a really fun idea for a late-night study break. The residents can use a whole bunch of frosting, sprinkles, fruit and candy to decorate…

To help resident cope with the stress of final exams, the Final Exam Scream gives them 5-10 minutes to make as much noise as they want. This includes…

Name: Toni J. School: University of Wyoming (program completed at Casper College) email: Description : Finals Foods provides students opportunities…

I stuffed little sheets of paper into plastic Easter eggs. I then hid the eggs throughout my hall. I emailed my residents telling them that if they…

- INTELLECTUAL PROGRAMMING - A-Wall Academic Skills Battle of the Sexes Book Club Discussions Brainteasers A Cold Grade Coffee and Creativity…

Description : this program was mainly to get my freshman residents better acquainted and less intimidated by their computer. It focused on trouble…

I am in charge of a floor with about 50 freshmen girls on it. This memory book worked well with such a small number. Its basically an address and…

PowerPoint, 91 KB. Download the original PPT file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. What: Building a…

Me and another Ra organized a trip to the Museum of Natural History in New York. We toured the Museum for three hours, the trip was successful…

Description : We invited residents to come to our lounge to read poetry: theirs or just poems they felt connected to. Poetry is such a great way to…

Rate Your Professor (RA Program) Description : I made "Rate Your Professor" grid sheets (with columns to name the professor, the class, positive…

Recoginizing Academic Success Recognizing Academic Success At the end of each semester I review the GPAs of each of my staff members to check to see…

This program is designed to give residents information of how to be safe on campus. What should be considered when out by oneself, etc.…

My supervisor had a program that consisted of buying a large amount of smarty candies and as the RAs did rounds and saw people studying they were…

To encourage my women to improve their study skills, I posted internet articles in all of the bathroom stalls. The articles dealt with studying…

Description : Study Bucks is a program we have been doing for a couple of semesters in a primarily freshman hall. The main goal of the program is to…

Many students don't know how to sew even a button on or mend things that aren't really big enough to take to a tailor, so this program will teach the…

I did this program in order to inform people of all the different places online where computer parts can be bought cheap. A lot of the residents have…

Word document, 40 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Program…

Publisher file, 104 KB. Download the original PUB file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. A Cardinal…

I did a program that was solely all about chocolate. I had interesting information printed on posters about chocolate as well as myths that you may…

This program is similar to the penny wars, however each RA has a jar in the staff office with their picture on it. For a week the jars are on display…

Just like a real babyshower. Full of games and prizes, and food! Donate the gifts to a woman's shelter or person who is in need of the items.…

It's mainly for stress relief. One of the RA's in my building did it last year. It's good for around finals week and midterms. You get together stuff…

Programming | Passive Bathroom Vandalism turned GOOD Description : An idea that was discussed with a group of new RA's here at Drexel ended up as a…

Our building was given $75.00 dollars from our hall council to go out and buy paper, colored pencils, markers, glitter, crayons, and stickers. We…

Description : Ask a local band to play in your Residence Hall. Often times these bands will ask for money, if so ask your Hall Council to defer the…

I took a group of residents to the hospital to carol to the people who were stuck in the hospital during the holiday season. We sang for about an…

For this program, the residents will color pictures that will be used as door decorations for an area nursing home. Instructions/Things Needed…

PDF, 192 KB. Download the original PDF file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Community 1 Community 4…

Word document, 99 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Activities and…

- COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMMING - Adopt-A-Family Program Arrest An RA Babyshower Bakesale Cards for Kids With Cancer Celebrating the Holidays by…

Each floor puts a large jar in the main lobby (in a closely monitored area), then you set a date for the wars to end. During the wars, residents put…

You can team up with another RA to do this program, or, depending on the school, the RLs on your floor. Basically, you buy different types of…

Lee Jeans sponsors a day in October to raise money for breast cancer research. The idea is for employees to donate money to wear jeans to work, but…

DUCK RACE You have anyone who wishes to enter purchase his own duck or have some available for purchase, or provide them. Have everyone who wishes to…

PowerPoint, 399 KB. Download the original PPT file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. The Eight…

Description : This program works great, my floor really liked it. I put up signs a few weeks in advance that I would be collecting…

PDF, 220 KB. Download the original PDF file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Trick or or Treat… for…

I made the first bulletin board of the semester by putting up a map and marking the cities where people were from with pins. Then I made notecards…

This is an ice-breaker type program that uses UNO cards! It's designed to start conversations about things people have in common and to tell people…

Description : The purpose of this program was to collect the extra school supplies that residents had so that they could be donated to a downtown…

Bakesale with the money going to building supplies for a Family Shelter. Instructions/Things Needed: Ask a couple of roommates as coordinators. They…

Publisher file, 95 KB. Download the original PUB file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. ShamROCK and…

I am working with the local chapter of habitat for humanity to get residents involved in the community. Instructions/Things Needed: Some hand tools…

Programming | Premade Boards | Bulletinboards Habitat for Humanity Two Description : We contacted our local Habitat for Humanity and scheduled a day…

All of the RAs in Dobson Hall collected items from their residents that they were willing to sell. For a little over a month, students could drop off…

We had "Kentucky Down Under" come to our hall. They brought Australian animals and Aboriginal artifacts. We invited a group of children from a…

I found that a lot of ladies in me resident hall were getting a bit catty with each other over simple things, and I felt that it was time for the…

This is a fantastic way to bring your residents closer together while, at the very same time, contributing to a worthwhile cause. The idea is to…

Make cards for different holidays. Send the cards to the local children's hospital. Instructions/Things Needed: Construction Paper Markers Glitter…

This runs like your normal NCAA Basketball tournament pool with one exception. To enter, each person must donate a non-perishable food item. All…

I had my residents turn in a "sack-lunch" form into our dining hall (our dining hall will provide sacks of lunch to those who fill out a form and…

I have been doing a community service program in conjunction with Sodexho Marriott, our campus' food service provider. How our meal plans are set up…

Microwave Meal: brunch, dinner and dessert (This could be used as a bulletinboard) Description : The programs goal is to teach residents that they…

This program was really good and helped out a worthwhile charity. I sponsored a month long pop tab collection competition between my residence hall…

Description : Get Residents to bid for an RA to to things for them. Like, 1) clean their room 2) do their laundry 3) give them a massage 4) make them…

Race for the Cure Walk/Run - I'm pretty sure this is a nationwide thing. It raises funds for breast cancer research. There's a 5K and also a one…

Our hall is doing a raffle for prizes. Every raffle ticket costs $1.00. For every month we have a prize package picked out. All the money collected…

The program is very simple really. All it consist of is raking leaves and having a dinner together. Here at my school each freshman dorm/floor has a…

To make residents aware of the importance of recycling for the environment. Make Easter baskets from old cardboard boxes and used color paper and…

Word document, 1038 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Residence…

I've always been a fan of TV, espically old TV shows that are now no longer on Tv. I've attached the flyer so you can take a look. click on picture…

A fun social program to bring members of your floor together. One of my girls made this suggestion to me and it was a huge success! It was a good way…

To have an interesting program about homesickness and how to fight it, I had residents come to a "scrapbooking" program. I advertised that they…

Towards the middle of the Spring Semester, have a clothes exchange in the lounge. Put signs up urging the girls to clean out their closets and bring…

This program is meant to celebrate the spirit of St. Patrick's Day with music by having a ShamROCK and ROLL session. A Guitar Hero 2 Tournament was…

A week before midterms or finals when people are stressed out, tell the residents that for one week they can donate non-perishable food items and…

I called a local nusing home and got their approval to come and visit. The guys on my hall had a blast and we plan on going back about every month.…

This program is designed for Freshman on Campus to get involved in their new community! Bring in represenitives from all over campus and the…

This is kind of like five girls and five guys but with a spin. Another RA and I took pictures of random rooms in the freshman halls. We then had the…

We got a few wheelchairs and set up a race course using traffic cones. We then had a representative from the special olympics speak about…

Community Service Program Year Round Adopt-A-Family Program About three years ago we sponsored an Adopt-A-Family for the Holiday Season from our…

Around the holiday and winter seasons resident assistants struggle to find ideas that incorporate community service and the holiday spirit. Here is a…

I am an RA in an all girls dorm. To get a discussion going about first impressions and how they're not always right, I took polaroid pictures of the…

Students fill out six cards which cover the following areas. A person from your childhood with whom you shared secrets. The names of your best…

Word document, 21 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Allies &…

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Word document, 31 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. The ALLIES…

Word document, 30 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. IMAGINE…

Description : The goal of Archie Bunker's Neighborhood is to create a community. Participants are assigned an I.D. tag with one of the following…

"Are You a Creature Unlike Any Other?" I invited the girls to come to the lobby through vague advertising. I used the least amount of information…

As cultural awareness has recently been stressed here at Southeastern Louisiana University, I figured that we might as well as explore the spiritual…

This is really an "add water and stir" program. Each week, during the month of February, which is Black Awareness month all over the country, show…

I constructed a bulletin board with several trivia questions about Black History. I made it a contest so that people could come up to the bulletin…

(Taken from the ResidentAssistant.com RA Discussion Listserv) What we have done in the past is have a black inventors scavenger hunt where residents…

Almost 20 years ago, the day after Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed, a teacher in a small town in Iowa tried a daring classroom experiment. She…

A candle light service to remember the lives lost in Kosovo. we had guest speakers from the history and political science department come and talk…

In celebration of Cesar Chavez, have a fiesta with food, music, and instruments galore!! We had a local mexican restaraunt cater our food, lots of…

PDF, 21 KB. Download the original PDF file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. What? What? What? Yeah!…

The 10 RA's at our Residence Hall got together and decided to celebrate the Chinese New Year as a nice Co-op to kick off the Spring semester. At each…

The Lost Seinfeld Description : I showed the episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Puerto Rican Day." This episode has been banned from syndication by…

Word document, 30 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Coming Out…

I sent letters to all of my residents' parents explaining that I wanted to do a cultural program on my floor. The letter asked each of the parents to…

Word document, 19 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Non-Gender…

There was a special episode of Dawson's creek in which a character comes out in an English class. The episode deals with how he and his friends dealt…

Advertise and get residents to sign up to participate. Pick a date and call it the day of silence. The residents who participate cannot speak from…

I created a scavenger hunt. The list was made of questions concerning diversity on our campus and in our city, as well as a list of items that…

Do it in the Sand was a program used to promote recycling while having lots of fun. Students put colored sand into glass or plastic bottles to form…

I'm an RA in a four floor building, so I figured I'd make use of our elevator.What I plan on doing is an educational night on Asian cultures. I'd buy…

Split everybody up into groups of two (if possible) or three, and make sure that everybody is with a person of different ethnicity (i.e. white with…

Description : All the residents on the floor, chooses one song that describes their personality or beliefs. Then we compile all the songs and burn…

In order to get residents to start having those conversations about diversity and background once again, I decided to post some seemingly bold…

Use "The Game of Life" as a model. Make different routes that match up with different ethnic or sexual-oriented groups, each with their own unique…

watched a video tape I recorded on discovery channel about the murder in Waco texas and conducted a educational program with discussion afterwards.…

April has Holocaust Remembrance Day, and to honor this, two things can be done. This year, we all gathered and watched Schindler's List. This is a…

- HUMAN AWARENESS PROGRAMMING - 101 Tools for Tolerance (Bulletin board and active program) A Different Life: Growing up Gay Archie Bunker's…

We had a party and invited many people for ice cream and a movie. Then the people who came were treated according to their race. Black females were…

This was a program where you cook or buy all different kinds of foods from all different cultures and backgrounds. Then you invite students in the…

Description : A small discussion with students and faculty members about interracial dating, especially on college campuses. Instructions/Things…

This program utilizes the popular show "Jerry Springer." The staff divided up to "perform" 3 different scenarios that related to issues first-year…

Ladies Night is self explanatory. This program was a night where all of the ladies of Temple Ambler's East Hall to come out and enjoy food and…

Program: Lunchtime with the Advocacy Offices Human Awareness, Social Description : Every Tuesday of the semester a different faculty memeber from the…

Each RA's room will become a different cultural entity. For instance The 3rd floor Ra's may become rooms of European Nations. Each RA's room will…

Philip Reid: Slave Caster of Freedom Philip Reid: Slave Caster of Freedom by Dr. Eugene Walton When Freedom, the statue perched atop the dome of the…

This is a really cool program that lets residents interact while at the same time dealing with physical disabilities. Great Awareness program!…

this program would help promote websites that students could use to reference both personal and scholastic interests. based on the common majors…

***WARNING*** This is a VERY high risk program for many people. Make sure the facilitator is willing and able to handle mixed and sometimes angry…

We have residents from all over the world. We advertised a "Rice Party" and asked that all the residents bring a dish (made with rice) from their…

Safe Zone Resources & Downloads Allies & Advocates Manual from Grand Valley State University - Activities that go along with the manual: Dating Game…

PowerPoint, 169 KB. Download the original PPT file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. A Sexual…

Actually, one of my residents came up with this one. Our floor had a meeting that promoted self confidence in women. This program helps females who…

Learn that through movies, music, etc. . . you can be spiritual without going to church or having to believe in any religion. The purpose is to get…

This program mainly dealt with hate crimes and the alarming statistics on the number hate crime victims over the past few year. I had a professor…

Held a little before Spring Break. We invited a well known local tattoo artist and piercer in to explain a little about what to look for when getting…

The Names Project -- AIDS Quilt Description : After volunteering at The Names Project in San Francisco for a day, I was humbled by the experience of…

Have residents write down positive and negative stereotypes about social groups(men/women/races/sororities/fraternities/gay and lesbians/feminists)…

Disability Awareness - Hearing and Visual Description : Give out earplugs to everyone, and explain how to put them in. Load up everyone in the…

Racism, Sexism, & Homophobia as Explored by Dave Chappelle Racism, Sexism, & Homophobia as Explored by Dave Chappelle (Word ) Description : Students…

Halloween: Invite your residents and residents in other dorms to express there creativity through pumpkin carving. Donate your carved pumpkins to a…

We held 4 made up Olympic competitions. 1 - most elaborate bogus (but believable) essay one a given topic (not one that anyone on the hall really…

Cheap Valentine Ideas Cheap Valentine Ideas for the Romantically Challenged Ideas given to males in an all male resident hall by (a) female(s).…

I used this idea in my dorm during finals week before Christmas. We had a Christmas around the world party. I had residents in my dorm from other…

Valentine's Day - Dinner and Swing Dancing For Valentine's Day, have each resident submit the initials of their "dream gift". For example, I would…

Since we cannot have pumpkin carving programs at our university because they promote the use of candles (which are illegal in the residents' rooms)…

My RA along with a fellow RA in another hall planned a Halloween hayride, It was a lot of fun and a good way to get people together and learn a…

Y ou and your interested residents dress up for Halloween to go trick or treating for canned goods. The food items collected will be donated to the…

Description : Bringing residents together by playing bowling in the hallway. Bowling set was a kid's plastic toy easily found at K-marts. Community…

Send Christmas or Valentines letters to military service men/women all over the world through a non-profit organization called Military Mail. There…

Programming | Holidays | Halloween Halloween can be a fun holiday to program around. here are some ideas that have been submitted to the site…

Valentine's Day Cupcakes Description : I made cupcakes for my residents!! It was very cute!! I decorated the cupcakes with red, pink, and white…

Programming | Holidays | Valentine's Day Valentine's Day Cupcakes Valentine's Exchange Valentine's for Vets Key to my heart Cheap Ideas Valentine's…

We all made folders to hang outside our doors and the few days before Valentine's Day, everyone could go through the hall and put valentine's in the…

I have never done this as an Residence Life Program but until this year, Community Service Programs were not mandatory at our college. I did however…

Description : Inspired by the 2000 premiere FRIENDS episode, where Monica and Chandler are engaged and Monica has this HUGE Wedding Mega Book that…

Two guys from a local apartment agency came and talked to the residents in our building. They talked about leases/contracts, renter's insurance…

This is a Red Cross sponsored program the educates students on how to properly treat an emergency situations, and what are are appropriate responses…

Freshman Transition Program Description : I worked with a group of RA's on this one... We really wanted to catch our residents' attention with this…

Description : To provide residents with the basics of CPR and first aid skills. School Health Center came out and taught CPR. Instructions/Things…

This is a social program we did to celebrate everyone's birthday at once. We ordered cake, decorated with streamers and balloons, and invited…

I asked one of the women from Career Services to come into our building and give out the career tests that they have available at their office. The…

Description : I had one of my Education professors (who is a retired Principal) come in and give a out interviewing tips for any type of interview!…

- LIFE PLANNING/CAREER PROGRAMMING - Apartment Search Career Planning Choose your own adventure Financing College Interviewing Tips Getting a Job on…

Fashion Show for Choosing Professional Attire for Interviewing: Students model attire Local clothing stores/retailers loan or donate clothing Use…

I had my residents take abridged Myers-Briggs personality tests before the program. I ordered pizza and we went over what each type means, and how to…

Word document, 27 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Wmu Department…

Word document, 23 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Program Report…

big/little brother/sister program Before Help Arrives Blue Eye Brown Eye Conflict Management Conquer the Campus CPR Basics Goal Setting Leadership…

This program is ideal for upperclassmen, but underclassmen may also attend. Try to get someone from the Career Planning Department to come to your…

Have some of the people on campus who hire studentworkers come to your section or hall and explain what they look for in an emploee. What they look…

I took the men of my hall to the campus radio station where I am a DJ. They were pretty interested since they know I am a DJ, and love it. They got a…

We gathered an RA from each hall on campus, and basically held a simple question-and-answer forum for residents. I've had many residents come to me…

Find out where local residents would register to vote. (For SMSU students, we can register at the campus library.) Ask the registration deputy to…

We had a mutual fund advisor come and talk about investing for the future. Instructions/Things Needed: A mutual fund advisor or a financial planner.…

Description : This program is mainly done by the residents. What I did is have them write a letter or one page on what they appreciated about their…

Word document, 33 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Roommate Game…

At the beginning of the year we invited our school's Office of Freshman Success to our floor to do a "Roommate Workshop". We offered pizza and prizes…

Description : Roommate Rumble, a great program to do the first week with a freshman floor. It is simple and fun, just match up people that are not…

Word document, 22 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. How Well Do you…

Screw your roommate: Each person sets their roommate up on a blind date for a meal or evening out. This works best second semester so people have a…

This program is done in a game show format. It is inspired by the show "The Newlywed Game," this program is a great way to promote positive roommate…

I invited a motorcycle safety instructional program (T.E.A.M., which happens to be based on our campus) to make an introductory presentation of their…

I am planning on a charity softball tournament for our residents, as well as the public. We are currently obtaining sponsors for virtually anything…

I had the Student Health Service Hot Topics (a group of students) come to the residence hall to present a program on STD's and pregnancy. The SHS…

Publisher file, 183 KB. Download the original PUB file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Hey Baby. . .…

The purpose of the program is to show how sexual activity can spread diseases and viruses. It's a visual representation of how you don't really know…

Condom Creativity Description : In order to get the word out that the Residence Life Staff had condoms for students that wanted them we had a floor…

We had a professor from on campus come and help us out. We started with stupid trivia questions about male and female anatomy and about condoms. The…

Cookies, CONDOMS & Milk You have your res. come over, you bake cookies and have some milk and you have a huge bowl full of condoms @ the table so…

Preferably in a computer lab -although this can be done from individuals' rooms- participants log on to a web site with a chat room. Once logged on…

I recently held a Drag Queen Contest in my residence hall. I had about 100 students attend the program. The contestants were each asked to do a…

Recently, I had to put on a program based on my residents current needs. Considering that I was dealing with around 50 male residents, most of whom…

This was the coolest program that we did all year. Everyone who wanted to participate had to sign up ahead of time. Then they all got an identity…

I designed this program to help the 550+ residents who live in my residence hall. I contacted the Victim Advocate program that we have on campus to…

I designed this program after attending a few RA conferences. I realized that there aren't programs for students who aren't having sex or who are…

Basically, you facilitate conversation between residents by reading questions from the "Book of Questions about Love and Sex" and let the residents…

Panel of "experts" answers questions about romance and sex. These questions can be asked there, but most come from questions filled out anonomously…

Matters of the Heart Description : February is Sexual Health & AIDS Awareness month. To educate others about sexual health issues, I collected many…

Men are from Mars/Women are from Venus Gets men and women involved in a program that is less threatening than sex in the dark. This program allows…

This program is titled ORAL SEX. I presented this program in the middle of SAFE SEX WEEK 1999. It was designed to just get information out there in a…

This is a great program that educates people without them knowing. I had a great turnout and lots of people came that aren't usually active in the…

Go over the basics of what date rape is, the common drugs that may be involved, why it may happen and what do during and after an attack. Also, how…

SEX AND CANDY I've used the following program several times with my freshmen residents and it provides them with important social interaction as well…

Description : Buy bananas and ice cream to have residents practice putting on condoms. Make ice cream sundaes afterwards. For fun you can try to time…

To bring up the topic of sex in a fun and informative setting. Health Center lead the open discussion and brought games. They open with two games: 1)…

Description : One program I sorta created was with a fellow RA. We wanted to have a sex education program. We realized that nobody would show if it…

The average person has seven sexual partners in a lifetime, and we try to depict this over the course of a week. A cast of characters is written and…

First of all, make sure all your posters say 'SEX' in big letters. Doesn't have to be in the Lounge; any common area will work, just as long as it…

i dont know about you but... our health center is fairly far away from most of our res. halls. this little program is very simple and informative.…

Not too long ago we had a program called Sex on the Runway. It was basically a pageant and each RA represented a form of contraceptive. We walked…

Residents are given the opportunity to ask questions anonymously to the other residents in attendance. What you need: * a pack of 3x5 cards * a large…

- SEXUAL EDUCATION PROGRAMMING - AIDS and other STDs Battle of the Sexes Condom Creativity Condom Olympics Cyber Sex Cookies, Condoms and Milk Drag…

start out my advertising this program using half photos of half naked people and over the "private" parts place and candy wrapper of them. then work…

A very simple and fun program. The resident assistants act as facilitators, encourage residents to put questions about sex in the fishbowl (doesn't…

A scavenger hunt with a twist! Contestants are grouped in pairs, threes, fours (pairs is easiest) and given sheets that contain safe sex questions…

3 student health advocates came and we played the game of sexual taboo (taboo but sex questions). In between questions they would demonstrate and…

"The Sexy Scavenger Hunt". The program in itself does not require much time or effort and it is more social than anything else, but still can be…

Description : Fill a pinata with condoms and candy (especially blow pops), then have your residents come "spank the monkey"…

I set up a Battle of the Sexes trivia contest between the men and the women in my hall. I asked the men questions that pertained to women and women…

This is a combination of a Halloween costume party and Karaoke. We had tons of people for this event it was extremely successful. There was a costume…

it is a building event which 10 RAs are participating. Two of us have teamed together to make it a relay. There are teams of 6-10 women and men.…

We held mini-programs for the first twelve days of December! We started out on the 1st with a hall decorating party, and ended the semester with a…

Pick a month that has no/few birthdays in it and throw an Unbirthday Party! Instructions/Things Needed: Cake, Ice cream, punch, plates, napkins…

Arm-Wrestling Competition When I did this last year, it was a blast! The guys especially got really into it, painting their chests and pumping up on…

Need help developing community in your building or complex? This is the program to do it! Sure the object of the game is to hunt down and "kill" your…

Surprise the athletes on your campus by dedicating a day to celebrate their hard work on the field,or court as well as their academic successes. Make…

Description : I found that many of my guys on my floor were into outdoors activities. So I decided to set up a weekend trip where we would go…

On the backs of the bathroom stalls, I hung up big sheets of butcher paper with a pencil taped to string with it. On the paper were questions for the…

Contact the baseball or softball coach at your college and get permission to have your hall take batting practice for an hour or two. It's something…

I did this and it was the most popular program of the year. Get a couple local bands to play (for free) and have a "battle of the bands" in or near…

Pick a sport. Have each building form a team. On a particular day, have the buildings play against each other. The winners of each round end up…

We threw a beach party for residents as part of a "beating the winter blues" theme week. We had beach type music, food including tropical fruits…

A representative from Mary Kay (a janitor of an area dormatory) is coming to show the residents the importance of make up and the ways to apply and…

Description : This is an extremely interactive and intensely fun program that is great for either your own floor, or your floor and your…

Program: bingo night Social Instructions/Things Needed: bingo boards and equipment, solicitaion of prizes from campus and local vendors... Name…

All you need is a phonemail system and a creative mind. What I do is get a birthday list at the beginning of the year and each time a birthday comes…

Particularly good for a female building. Divide interested residents into pairs (can use roommates) and have them find a blind date for their partner…

Description : What I did was take over the hallway. My hallway is shaped like an L and it is difficult to get everyone to interact. So I set up a…

This program was thought up in the best way possible - there was a resident that liked to make bonsai trees. SO, true to RA form, we basically had…

This is a simple program. Just print out a list of things to do around your campus. Many people get bored because they don't know what's around them.…

Have a non-traditional breakfast that is not good for you. Sometimes it is fun to go against the norms. Instructions/Things Needed: Ask around and…

Bring Your Own Bowl!! This title definitely catches resident's attention! They're reeled in and then they find out it's an ice cream social! fun!…

Color your life and the lives of others! This is our canned food scavenger hunt. Everyone had a lot of fun and I think the people that we met going…

Word document, 29 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Karaoke Idols…

This is an opportunity for an on-going program. Once a month you serve chicken soup and focus on one of the chicken soup for the s ul books, or a…

Description : An evening for residents to get together and bond over some food and their favorite childhood games. It gives them a chance to discuss…

Program Program: Coffee House program Comments: This might be a good idea for a social program. Last year I did a Coffee House program. This program…

Coffee House and Talent Night... Set it up with coffee, cocoa, pop and snacks and people who signed up with an RA previously go up to a designated…

College Chef Description : This program is to help spark competition and identify the culinarily inclined. Each team of three gets a box full of…

The program consists of telling the story of Hemp. Unique Facts about it and the difference between Hemp and Marijuana. After that you can Make Hemp…

! D escription: This swing dancing program was such a success at our school that it has been repeated four times within three semesters! Each time we…

One idea that has now been a tradition on my hall is Cookie Night. I hook up with a hall that is next to mine, and we put one of our TVs in the hall…

Each night most of my floor eats dinner in the dining hall. I decided to have a program the would enable the floor to see how the rest of campus ate.…

Legal Information Related To Movie Programs Editor's note: Following are two submissions to the site. One discusses the ramifications of using a…

Do You Know What's In Your Drink?? I made chocolate chip cookies and then passed them out to my residents. Along with the cookies I gave them a slip…

I have the maintenance men in our area cut pieces of wood for door stops, and I have a decorating party with my floor. The person with the best door…

Description : We had each ladies floor sponsor two males from their brother floor. The ladies were responsible for for dressing their "queen" in…

Description : Two (or more) residents compete to see who can remain in the Elevator the longest. Your choice whether to vote-out or wait for…

Residents were able to come and get a homemade facial mask, either oatmeal, cucumber or egg. Instructions/Things Needed: You'll need eggs, cucumbers…

Our school has a "family weekend" every year where your family can come up and spend a weekend with you. There are informational sessions, a football…

Making fleece blankets to keep you WARM! Description : I searched for the cheapest price for fleece and i found it at Walmart. I had sign ups to make…

Floor Feast Materials Needed: Everyone on the floor contributes food for one big, yummy meal that we all got to eat! A nice change from cafeteria…

This is bingo with a twist. All of the prizes must be strange or freakish, in an effort to entertain the players. You'd be surprised what kinds of…

Description : Makeover Contest: Group divides into teams of 3 or 4 (all depends on size of original group). Each team selects the person to be "made…

Because November is also the month for Thanksgiving, it is a great time to get your residents together to share what they are thankful for, while…

Description : We watched "When Harry Met Sally" and afterwards discussed some of the topics brought up in the movie. We also talked about the theory…

As an introduction program with new college freshman girls, I wanted to encourage individuality and personal uniqueness from the start. Each resident…

Residents submit paper turkeys on which they can express their thanks for something or someone and you then post them on a bulletin board or a…

This is best at either the beginning or end of a semester when people are most likely to be thinking about home. The idea is that everyone who is…

Here at Appalachian State University we do this thing called "Gutter Splits" where you get a gutter from the hardware store and line it with tin…

We had a hair-dying party on my floor last weekend. It's a lot of fun -- post sign-up sheets about a week before the shindig, where people write…

Our hall (Downey Hall) gave a way "Downey Dollars" to residents for participation (for attending hall activities, senate meetings, etc. and they were…

(Hall Name) Feud Description : Our staff made up a survey, distributed to the residents in our hall, tallied up their answers and made a Family Feud…

Snyder is a substance free hall, and we try to come up with alternative programming all the time. I have to give props to BALL STATE RA's for giving…

Olympics: Works best at beginning of year in the residence halls. Each house/section provides a team or teams. Events can include Dizzy izzy bat…

You need to plan this program with another floor (one of the same gender, if you live in a co-ed res. hall). Shortly after your residents move in…

Description : A fun way to get a hall together. A Coed Hall is the best for this. Have a huge party with music, food, games and prizes for costumes.…

Harry P. -- Hogwarts School Harry P.-Hogwarts School Description : I split up the students on my floor into the four houses in the Harry Potter books…

Description : Along with my Area Coordinator and two fellow Resident Assistants, we transformed the louge area of our residence hall into a Hip Hop…

We all met at my apartment and decorated a poster for the event. We then went to the men's basketball game and cheered our hearts out. Afterwards we…

We had one housekeeper on our floor who really went out of her way for us, always letting us borrow the vacuum or something, so the girls wanted to…

Human Foosball is a great social activity that draws a big crowd. This is an outdoors game, so find a large spanse of grass. Line up your players…

Description : This program is designed to get residents familiar with rules/campus policies, and the different RA's throughout the building. To allow…

I put on this program in my individual hall, but I ended up with tons of people from the halls and off campus. I called the program "Mick Foley's Ice…

This program is an ongoing series. Our building is 8 halls of freshmen. My staff of RAs believes that it is important for the residents to meet their…

Students are asked to prepare a dish based on their family heritage. International students are asked to prepare a traditional dish from their…

A dance teacher from one of our local dance studios in Kalamazoo came and taught a group of students about the history of Irish Jigging and the…

To basic idea is to eat as many of these hot desserts as possible. It is an instant attraction amongst the residents; there's something about…

We did a Holiday Swing Dance last December and collaborated with Food Services to have it in one of our a La Carte Dining Halls, during evening snack…

Four of my residents setup their stereo equipment (with KARAOKE features) in the lounge and had lights and food too. They displayed their boxes of…

This is a great program to build community and bring residents together. It can be extremely successful early in the year, but is also a great…

As a valentine's day program to help my residents get to know each other, I cut out one heart or one key for each of my residents and put their name…

many garden stores have pint size containers of ladybugs for your garden (i guess bugs help plants or something) so with one of these pint size…

Laser Tag has gone over very well one our campus, both from male and female standpoints. The outfit that I recomend using is Called LaserQuest and…

(Last Chance) Water Fight Considerations : Get approval from everyone for this program...we thought we'd be able to use a slip n'slide but we…

You get everyne on your floor/building to bring a quarter to an event or floor meeting.They also need to bring thier IDs. You put everyonesID'sin a…

My name is Ashley Sims Gardner-Webb University Boiling Springs, NC. My social program for this semester is called Laundry Night. I use the money from…

Make Your Own Door Mat! All of my residents got together and made door mats. We stenciled and painted them with our names and other pictures. This…

Make your own music video Description : A just for fun program where people can test their creativity and love of music. Instructions/Things Needed…

This program is just getting residents together to compete against each other is video games, in this particular case, Mario Cart. You could also use…

A grad student in art (with an emphasis in potatos) came to show us how to sculpt potatos and he told us about different art mediums. Then different…

PROGRAMMING Ideas Master List (By Date) 07/31/99 - Get to Know You UNO 07/27/99 - Sexual Chocolate 07/14/99 - Potty Party 07/13/99 - Video Game Night…

Please visit our sponsor! PROGRAMMING Ideas Master List (By Date) REMEMBER! These are just the programs that include instructions and details. For…

Each resident gets a piece of a puzzle. Each puzzle is made up of about 4 pieces. Residents go door to door trying to find the other pieces to fit…

This is a simple program, and the beauty of it is that you can combine it with any other Social program. As an individual program, invite all the…

Our staff bought as many types of melon as you can imagine- watermelon, cantaloupes, honeydews, santa claus melons, etc- Walmart had a huge…

Description : Shows Residents interesting dishes that they can cook in their own rooms using microwaves. It is really a lot of fun as the residents…

Close to midnight, throw a mini-breakfast gathering. Serve breakfast food in the halls or set up a room full of activities, games, and BREAKFAST…

Description : Our residents just sort of started doing this themselves, but we used it later as a Welcome Back program at the end of Winter Break.…

Midnight Glow-in-the-dark Volleyball This program was adapted from one that was run at University of Pennstate Berks Campus. We take glow in the dark…

Do your Residents know the Resident Director? Does your RD want to work closely with residents, then why not have a fun time doing so…

Description : This is kinda messy but VERY VERY fun. Depending on how many guys you have to sign up for the program, get a reasonable amount of milk…

I HAD ALL OF THE RESIDENTS OPEN THEIR DOORS. THEN WE ALL SAT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HALLWAY AND DID 2 GET TO KNOW YOU ACTIVITIES WHICH LED INTO…

Have couples submit a two page essay stating why they think they are a good couple. Choose an essay as a winner. Let the winners plan their own…

Cook a late home-style breakfast for your residents. Instructions/Things Needed: Ask your residents what their favorite breakfast food is, make sure…

PROGRAMMING Ideas Master List (By Date) 02/25/99 - "The Program To End All Programs" - Social/A 02/24/99 - Sex and Candy - Sexual/A 02/24/99 - Garage…

Over Easter Break, another RA and myself were borded, and figured the few students left on campus where also. We had a movie marathon (4 to be…

The title pretty much explains it all, rent some videos and show them in the lobby. Movie night can have a certain theme (example: musicals, 80's…

Residents were asked to gather words, phrases, pictures or bible scriptures that inspire them. They were asked to share the reason they selected some…

Each resident paints a pot with the design of their choice, then they choose a plant to put into the pot. Instructions/Things Needed: Small 2"…

! Ice Breaker / Social Function: My Tie Night. Each male resident turns in one tie to the RA. The RA then takes the ties to a female floor. The women…

The first week of March is national Chocolate week, and the RAs from my residence hall got together and got different kinds of chocolate and let the…

NBA Area Tour Description : Myself and another RA led a group of residents from the halls to the Palace of Auburn Hills in the fall. Home of the…

Went to Providence Performing Arts Center, in Prov,RI to see Footloose the musical. Culture and broadway! Instructions/Things Needed: Contact a group…

The activity is simple. All you do is make oceans in a bottle. This is a fun activity and best if done around finals as a kind of escape from…

Keep Your Door Open Day There's always those doors that are never open in the dorms, so do something about it! Go around to doors at a random time…

Send a letter home to the parents of each resident asking them to send a package to the RA for their son/daughter. Everyone loves to get packages at…

Find a paintball field in your local town and go visit them. Talk them into giving you a group discount. Then charge each of your residents the price…

The inside hallways of a building need to look like home, why not let your resident's creative juices flow, and have a painting party…

Description : A pajama party. Have the residents come (to you or someone's good-sized room) in their pj's. Have pizza and soda. Vote on best pajama…

Description Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Joe. As an Area Director, I monthly have a time that students can stop by to visit me and make sandwiches. It…

This program is designed to get students involved with the community & with the Humane Society. Since most college students are away from their…

Give each resident a survey of questions to fill out. Inform the resident that they have a certain time limit in which they must turn it back in.…

This was a really cool program... I put up signs all over that said "do you have the phattest room in litchfield?". I allocated money from hall…

Description : This was a great idea that went over really well last year. All of the R.A.'s in my building volunteered to be pied in the face by…

Its easy and fun....MAKE YOUR OWN PIZZA BAGELS.....the name says it all....get any kind of topping....and have your residence go to town Name: Doug…

Pizza Man Races Description : Basically this is a pizza party for your floor, but to make it more interesting there will be pizza delivery man races.…

Pizza with a twist! Description : I invited the residents on my hall to a pizza social in my room. When they arrived they find out that I was…

Each resident was given a clay pot to paint using paint stamps and brushes. Then, they were given dirt and seeds to plant their own flowers.…

Have your residents pot flowers. Advertise it as a "Pot Party" and you would be surprised by how many people showed up (usually works best with…

This program was originally started by one of our assistant residents directors but it is an awesome idea. We have a prize patrol. Each week a…

Each floor or wing has a different part of the dinner. The dinner works well with sandwiches. One floor can have the drinks, one with sandwiches…

Before Halloween, get your residents together and into the holiday spirit by carving a pumpkin. By paying about $2, you can buy a good sized pumpkin…

Mother/Daughter Luncheon scheduled for March (woman's month) is design to offer an opportunity for women to get together and share a common bond as…

Rapp Search Rapp Search Rapp Search will be conducting contests around the USA, and the world during the next year. our plan is to have a wqrld-wide…

Resident Assistant.com PROGRAM SUBMISSION Contest for the Best application of technology in residence hall programming. Share your most creative idea…

Three residents each week are chosen at random. Each resident completes a short humorous questionaire. The RA for the resident offers a quote about…

"RETURN TO CHILDHOOD" For this program, you just need a few things. 1. Care Bears movies, Muppet movies, and/or random cartoons, like "Scooby Doo" or…

Day at the climbing gym! Rent out the local climbing gym for 2 hours and have a blast! What you need: 1) Get info from the gym on group rates, times…

Over breakfast watch tapes of cartoons that we grew up with. The key to this program is to hold it late. Start it at either 12pm or 1pm (when college…

This program is based on the idea of MTV's Say What? Karaoke game show. We borrowed the sound system from our HRL department and set it up in the…

I gave a list of items to the residents and sent them out on campus to see how many they could find in a certain amount of time. Each item had a…

During a holiday, everyone's name goes into a hat. Everyone draws a name and that person is their "secret pal". For about a week or two, they…

Let resident fill out the Secret Sister form and then pair people up. They give their SS gifts throughout the semester and a party at the end of it…

I matched up each of my girls with another girl on the floor. Each month we got together and had a "girls night" where we exchanged gifts. This…

Description : I did this program at the beginning of the year, but I think I should have waited until the middle of the first semester. I handed a…

I made up a list of things to get on a Scavenger hunt. I looked around my room and put on the list what I thought everyday college students in the…

This is a good program if people on your floor are not interacting with each other. Give everyone a sheet of paper outside their door. For a week…

We turned our lobby into a relaxing spa atmosphere. We offered free manicures, nail art, herbal facials, makeovers, massages, and even nutritiously…

Description : Cooked a spaghetti dinner and made cakes for my residents because I know they get tired of eating cafeteria food and cheeseburgers from…

Kinda a recreational program. I got 75+ people out of 350 to play. It is an ongoing game of tag. Give students in the area involved (it can be your…

Stars of the Week Is a program to recognize residents of a floor, or Residence Hall. Once a week, I choose two roommates and make them "Stars of the…

We have suites in our dorm-four rooms off one common area. Of the 16 suites, each compete in a Christmas decorating contest. Each suite is free to…

Residents come together to make their own ice cream sundaes and eat them. Instructions/Things Needed : bowls spoons napkins ice cream assorted…

My fellow RA's and I were trying to give a Superbowl Party and our big screen was out. We each only had 19 inch TVs and one of us had a 25 inch.…

Knowing that every year, a "Superbowl" will take place, My staff decided to get together and have a "SUPER BOWL SUNDAY PARTY". We advertised at the…

First you will need to decide what your challenge will be, an obstacle or scavenger hunt works best. Then you'll need teams pitted against each other…

I sent home letters to all my residents parents asking them to send there daghter a package for an unbirthday party. Since our birthday's are all…

Description : Pass out applications to be "on the island" of your Residence Hall. Select 2 people to represent each floor from those applications.…

Toward the end of the year when your residents have accumulated lots of stuff, have a Swap Meet where residents can bring things to trade with each…

Swing Dance How about a "Swing into Spring" dance...swing dancing is really big now...we plan on a swing valentine's dance this semester ...anyway…

Show the movie "Swing Kids" and then teach people how to swing. Instructions/Things Needed: Movie: "Swing Kids" Someone who knows how to swing. Other…

Tae-Bo aerobic video tape Instructions/Things Needed: TV, VCR and Tae-Bo video tapes Other Considerations : Have a lot of space and bring more…

Description : Every good toga party needs a traditional event. Tag Team Chariot Racing is a team competition. You need enough pairs for as many…

I would like to submit an idea for a program that I did, and it really got a large turnout. Seeing that piercings and tattoos are such a huge thing…

Have residents compile a list of their favorite things to make in the dining hall with the ingredients provided there. Photocopy the list and…

One of my residents and I were talking one day and decided that if we could make a person from the best charactersitics of everyone on the floor she…

This is a program just like the Newlywed game, except you're dealing with roommates instead on newlyweds. Instructions Things Needed: All you have to…

Play The Wizard of Oz along with Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. Instructions/Things Needed: TV, VCR, Portable Stereo,The Wizard of Oz, Dark Side…

My dormitory had only 5 wings and we had a major theme throughout the dorm in regards to Self Worth and where we fit into the mold. Now being an all…

It was a Hall-wide program that was also opened up for the entire campus. Everyone came on a Tuesday to Tie Dye their t-shirts. Then on Thursday…

This is a program to get everyone together and tie dye some clothing that they are bored of, or old white shirts that are turning yellow.…

Word document, 45 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Now it's YOUR…

Word document, 21 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. An example of…

This has been done a bunch of times around campus and is a great idea! It works for us because we are in an urban setting. We invite children from a…

To take advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday as a great opportunity for my hall to get together, I came up with a fun activity to precede our…

Description : This program was a lot of fun! As residents arrived we gave them name tags and they could chose to be any TV character they wanted for…

This program is a fun and messy way to get the floor involved and to help them learn more about each other. It can also be used as a teambuilder or…

Everyone has old CDs that he or she does not listen to anymore. Maybe your tastes in music have changed or the CD was a gift from Great Aunt Flo.…

Considering not all vegetarians are against meat because of animal cruelty, one could look at environmental factors. Beef and pork consumtion are…

At Victoria's Secret Body, they do free makeovers. I have a predominately male hall (I'm a female RA) and I wanted to do a program to bring the girls…

Set up two or three TVs in a room commonly used by all residents. Ask your residents what type of game system do you use (Playstation,Nintendo 64…

When I was a RA I did this program and it worked out surprisingly well. The basic concept was to have several game systems from the Atari of the 80s…

Walking Dogs at an Animal Shelter Jennifer Z. Stephen F. Austin State University Walking Dogs at an Animal Shelter Some of the RAs and myself tried…

Description : This social/physical program is a resident competition program played to the style of the game-show Name That Tune. Five contestants…

get an astrologer to come in and talk about astrology and its history, its uses, and its future. The one we asked to come made a natal chart for all…

Residents, who enjoy eating Lucky Charms, participated in an eating contest. Whoever ate the most Lucky charms, won a prize. It was quite hilarious…

Once a week, the entire building gets together in the apartment of one resident. That person bakes fresh cookies for the entire building. It has been…

This is just a basic spin on the hit ABC series "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?" It uses a variety of questions, from academic to sexual to…

Description : The idea is to create a Bulletin Board which has every residents name on it in a giant heart with the "who, what, where, that they love…

This is simple, make a huge crossword with the names of all of the residents in the hall. Place it in the lobby with markers attatched. Name: Hill H.…

During finals, an hour is set aside each night to de-stress. have residents gather in their respective wings and see which wing can out scream the…

I wrote a letter to each of my resident's parents asking for a baby picture, preferably from birth to two years old. I posted these pictures on a…

This program is designed to help the residents use the community resources in their area. While the RA is implementing and coordinating the program…

With this great resource of a city so close by, we need to take advantage of it! Your job is to plan a trip to somewhere within the Chicago city…

I gathered up information on the internet about aromatherapy (i.e. what it is? The various scents and what they do for you and how to use the oils.)…

Auras Description : You need to find information about auras, there are many books/websites that not only give basic information but also quizzes for…

Balloon Stress Busters Description : This is a good program to do during final exam weeks. Give each resident a balloon and a marker. Have them write…

During the month prior to the program, I placed pictures of women with eating disorders and body image and the statements they made. Then we…

Love Yourself - Eating Disorder Awareness Instructions: I wanted to do something that focused on Eating Disorder Awareness and V-Day... I took V-day…

This program is pretty big, but worth it, if done right. Basically it's like a Casino Night complete with play money, and even drinks (mocktails)…

The Century Club is a club that you get into by drinking 100 shots of beer, 1 a minute for 100 minutes. For this program you do the same thing except…

I had someone come talk about stress management and then I set it up like a carnival/circus. I made a cheap ring toss game and bean bag toss game out…

Residents gathered and watched the movie Cocktail while enjoying "mock" drinks. We made things like virgin strawberry daqueris and pina coladas. This…

Allow the students to cut up old magazines and make a collage of how they feel or what they see in themselves. You may even provide them with…

During our first wing meeting of the year, I wanted to stress the importance of building community in our wing. I explained to my residents that…

Here is a very effective way residents can get stress relieved when going through a tough time. One thing that I do find effective and many students…

During midterms we co-sponsored a yoga program. The purpose of the program was to give the residents a fun way to stay healthy while preparing for…

10 RA's put on a Dia de los Muertos celebration. We decorated the room with traditional decoration with candles, family pictures, skeletons. We had…

After realizing that our hall had several students with severe eating disorders we decided that a program would be appropriate. Instead of doing a…

- EMOTIONAL & STRESS RELIEF PROGRAMMING - Aromatherapy Back to Kindergarten Balloon Stress Busters! Beating Body Blues Blues Jars Candlelight Vigil…

This is a program that my RA and the other female RA's on campus did my freshman and sophmore year and it is a tradition that will be carried on…

bring in a massage therapist and have her teach you massage techniques to de-stress yourself and others. this is a Great program to do during finals…

Finger Painting At Emmanuel College in Boston, we had an entire floor of women in the basement going crazy over finger paints. It was right before…

Frustration Piñata Description : As finals period was approaching, I listed all the 'pet peeves' that my residents had at that time on index cards.…

Flu Shots Description : To avoid having my hall turn into an infirmary, I asked one of the Nurse Practitioners to come to my hall's lobby and give…

I did this program last year and it was fun but messy. It's called Food Art . I went and got all kinds of food, rotten fruit and veggies from the…

Another RA and I got together and bought strawberry daquiri mix, strawberries, and bananas to make mocktails. Basically you just throw them all in…

I got nutrition information from the school nutritionist about a balanced diet. My residents met at my apartment and listed what they had eaten that…

Holiday Tradition Cook-Off Description : My co-RA and I got together to do a diversity program this December. I'm Jewish, she's Christian and we were…

This program is a way for you just to get a bunch of residents together at the beginning of the year to get to know each other. First you get the ice…

Description : following the spirit of the TV show it was a cook off challenge....another RA and i had 4 or 5 rooms from our towers cook off against…

This is another program that I participated in at the 1998 IACURH conference. It was presented by Colorado State I believe. Have someone study up on…

Description : This is a good way to help residence get involved and also have all the junk food you can ask for in one night.…

This is an educational program that deals with illegal drug use education. A real drug dog is brought into the residence hall by a police officer who…

We had a team of RAs and Hall Directors. We went around the halls on a Friday night and knocked on doors where there were people in. We then accused…

Bring in someone who has experience in the art of meditation, or if an RA knows how to, do it themselves to run a session on it. Instructions/Things…

This was a finals week stress reliever. We set aside a room and had a massage therapist who donated her time to us. When residents came through, they…

Description : Make mock drinks such as strawberry and pina colada daquiris, skittles were unknowingly dropped into drinks to symbolize the date rape…

Monday Night Drinking Game This program is a tribute to the most electrifying hall in sports entertainment today, John Mabee Hall Dormitory for Men!!…

We each got a partner and used various massage techniques (a therapist isn't needed) talked a bit about aromatherapy, and did a relaxation technique…

Games/Icebreakers Advertising your programs Programming Categories: Bulletin Boards/Passive Programs Ideas and ready-made boards to print out!…

In this program, you have a dimly lit room and you have 3 "stations". Palmistry: For this you could either have a projector with which you could draw…

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- PHYSICAL PROGRAMMING - AIDS Alcohol Education Batting Practice Beach Scene Before Help Arrives Casino Night/Mocktails Century Club Cocktail (movie)…

Get a bunch of people together that read, write, or are interested in poetry. Get everyone to meet in a designated room and have 30 minute sessions…

Some of the men on my hall meet for about an hour a week, praying for each member of the hall by name. Its awesome to see how God answers these…

- PROGRAMMING ISSUES- Social Programs (200+) P rograms designed with the primary intent of building relationships and promoting social development.…

During finals, every gets stressed so I had a little study break. I bought punching balloons and tons of food. After blowing up the balloons, we all…

This program was the greatest kind of stress relief there is! I had an idea to combine a counselor with fun child-like activities...So the person I…

Contact a local florist or greenhouse, ask them to donate some planters, soil, and small plants (if they do not donate the cost per student…

Description : The way I did this program was I had residents sign up to be involved first. Return to Sender is a way for them to send a care package…

In order to do this program, there must be a way to filter all incoming residents through the same point. In our case, the RSA security desk directed…

This is kind of the opposite of an ice breaker. It is the perfect "ice-freezer" to close out a year and help residents lock up some of their…

- SPIRITUAL PROGRAMMING - Auras Candlelight Vigil Christmas Caroling Dia de los Muertos Palmistry, Tea Leaves and Tarot Poetry Corner Holiday…

This section of the site is dedicated to ways to encourage and recognize your staff! Ideas for Recognition Day This is a list of ideas collected for…

We made stress relievers out of balloons filled with flour. If made correctly they work like stress balls and will last a long time. I had some…

A cookie and milk discussion on body image. Followed by an episode of Nip/Tuck Instructions: I publicized the program as a cookie and milk discussion…

This program was designed to give my residents information about the dangers of binge drinking without lecturing them. I made a life size gameboard…

Raises stress awareness. Tell the long and short terms effects of stress. For an added bonus, make stress balls for an incentive for coming to the…

Warm Fuzzy Night This program is great for those times when everyone is feeling kind of down and in need of something to make them feel good - I did…

Another RA and I had residents gather in our common area around Halloween. We had them give us all of the stereotypes that they could think of about…

This program was presented at the 1998 IACURH conference. In a large room hang signs that read "bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, etc...). In the kitchen…

- PROGRAMMING - The ABC's of ProgRAmming - It's as Easy as "P.I.E." Dan Oltersdorf - ResidentAssistant.com P rogramming is a very important part of…

Advertising Tips: Mediums Sidewalk Chalk in front of the main door (the rain will wash it away) Dry-Erase pens on all the mirrors (it wipes off with…

PROGRAMMING Ideas Master List (By Date) © 1999 Dan Oltersdorf | |…

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Word document, 55 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Western…

Word document, 21 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Residence Hall…

Salsa dancing is extremely popular in most areas, so this program allows them to see a demonstration and get free lessons, all while eating ice cream…

Word document, 50 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Physical…

- PROGRAMMING RESOURCES - This site is built through your ideas and input. If you know of an informative web site, ! Look at the categories below…

Word document, 44 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Recipes Easy…

Some notes on programming: Program, program, program!! As you probably realize, programming is an essential part of the RA position . It is through…

Word document, 21 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Resident…

Word document, 36 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Student…

PDF, 94 KB. Download the original PDF file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Date: Fund-raiser Title…

Word document, 20 KB. Download the original DOC file . The text below was extracted from it, so tables, images and layout may differ. Who's Your RA…

Okay...this was a real hit with everybody in the hall. I made door tags out of blue and white checked scrapbooking paper and used glue and glitter to…