Mark your calendars, everyone. Saturday, February 7th marks the newest addition to fun campus programs – Siblings Day, or Sibs Day for short. Spearheaded by the Parents Program, Sibs Day promises to be a day-long event with various activities for students and their younger siblings to enjoy.
The planned event is a natural extension of the Parents Program, which aims to support the relationship between student and parent. Laci Weeden, the Director of the Parents Program, believes that “when parents are informed, students benefit,” and as such the Parents Program plays a key role in keeping parents up-to-date on campus events like flu shots or career fairs.
Similar to the Family Weekend offered in the fall, Sibs Day will share the student life experience with younger family members this spring. The program is open to all younger children aged 7-16, provided that they are accompanied by a Tech student.
Though an admissions information session for older siblings will be provided, the primary goal of Sibs Day is not recruiting. Weeden hopes that the day is more about bonding time between students and siblings than anything else.
“Younger kids miss their siblings when they’re away at college – this is a chance to spend time together,” Weeden points out, especially because many younger children don’t truly understand what college is. “Sibs Day gives siblings a window into college life.”
Sibs Day is not only for siblings – bringing a younger cousin, family friend, or the kid you used to babysit is just as welcome. Parents are invited to sign up as well, though most choose to enjoy a day in the city instead while their kids participate in the program. As of last Friday, sixty pairs had registered for the event, only four of whom were parents. Two hundred registered guests are anticipated in total.
The event agenda includes eating in a dining hall, attending a Tech basketball game, bowling at Tech Rec, and participating in a community service project. The planned service project will involve making colorful blankets for Project Linus, an organization that donates blankets to children’s hospitals.
Weeden encourages “events to have some type of service component” to demonstrate Tech’s values and commitment to philanthropy.
Several educational sessions are also planned throughout the day. The content of these sessions has yet to be finalized, but possible topics include a Paper and Clay workshop, an Egg Drop, and a tour of Tech’s 3D printers. The Georgia Tech Tour Guides will be taking part in the program as well. Last but not least, all participants will receive a Sibs Day T-shirt.
While February 7th marks the pilot program for Sibs Day at Tech, Weeden has introduced Sibs Day to colleges before; this will be her sixth time organizing this event. Weeden hopes to see many more, saying that Sibs Day “is one of my favorite events to do – it’s a really fun day.”
To receive more information on Siblings Day contact Laci Weeden at [email protected]