Native and Indigenous Pre-Orientation

Hosted by the Native American Program, NIPOP is a 2.5-day Pre-Orientation Program designed to welcome new students, build community, and introduce participants to campus resources. The program fosters a strong sense of belonging and connection, helping students form meaningful relationships and feel supported as they begin their Dartmouth experience. The Native American Program works with various campus partners to provide community-based resource structures and programs that holistically support our students, in their total academic, social, and emotional wellbeing. Highlights include: new student and family welcome dinner, introduction to Indigenous resources, community building, and more! Registration will open by June 2026.

"I would definitely recommend NIPOP. Despite it seeming short, the amount of bonding and information provided made me feel like I had known the community for much longer. Having extra and dedicated time to get to know my NAD classmates made regular orientation more manageable since I knew I had familiar people to come back to when new introductions got overwhelming. Being able to spend time with the staff also helped establish connections and I feel comfortable coming to them for help with anything that comes up." – NIPOP Participant '29

"I was really nervous for my transition to Dartmouth, especially into the indigenous community on campus. I have a strong cultural connection to my native identity through my family, but I did not grow up in a community where I could develop relationships with other native kids as my peers. Thankfully, NIPOP was really accepting and I was able to make friends and connect with the other native students immediately. I now feel fully welcomed into the community through this program. I found a group of friends before the chaos of other students arriving ensued. Additionally, NIPOP allowed me to have a calmer transition into college life. I really recommend this program to anyone who is interested in finding a welcoming space on campus that will support you throughout your time here. If you are able to come, I really recommend attending." – NIPOP Participant '29

"Go for it! It's truly an amazing experience that will make the transition between high school and college much smoother. You will meet so many amazing people and feel like you have a place to safely express your cultural identity." – NIPOP participant '29

"I think that if you are an incoming indigenous student you should definitely attend NIPOP because it provides a strong foundation not only culturally, but also through academics and other important aspects of college life. Also moving in early allows for you to build connections with the people here before the craziness of everyone else coming." – NIPOP Participant '29

"Being able to be on campus early made me feel more confident about college life when the rest of the students arrived and normal orientation started, and it really helped with my community building since I knew that there were other people on campus I connected with and could spend time with if orientation ever got too overwhelming." – NIPOP Participant '28

"I really appreciated the opportunity to get ingrained in the Native community at Dartmouth before other students arrived which created touch points for the rest of orientation." – NIPOP Participant '28