THE WAKE360 EXPERIENCE

DEVELOPING THE WHOLE STUDENT AND

EXPANDING THE BUBBLE UNTIL IT BURSTS

Problem
We feel that the current academic environment at Wake Forest does not encourage students to
think creatively and explore unknown places within the Winston-Salem community. The focus of
Wake Forest students is on their academic successes and resumes. Students are so concerned
with attaining perfect grades that they are unwilling to take risks in the classroom for fear that
they might not receive their desire grade if they do. Often times professors award lower grades to
students who do not complete their assessments in a certain way. These students feel punished
for freely going about their academics. Our academic environment at Wake Forest pulls students
out of their creative capacities. And, in maintaining this environment, we are doing a disservice
to our students in causing them to lose their creative confidence.
Another issue that we have observed among members of our community is their hesitancy to go
outside of the Wake Forest Bubble. Even when students leave the gates of campus and venture
out into Winston-Salem, they stay within the Bubble by visiting restaurants and attractions that
are frequented by students or individuals of similar backgrounds. We believe that students would
benefit from interacting with people of backgrounds different from their own.
Overview
The WAKE360 Experience is a four-year program that all Wake Forest undergraduate students
will be required to participate in in order to graduate. Students will visit sites off campus with
their advising groups, choose either a non-profit or for-profit organization that they would like to
partner with, and then help that establishment in some sort of way.
Projects will be celebrated during one of the last weeks of the spring semester every year. A fair
will be held on the Upper Quad for seniors to present their projects to lowerclassmen and faculty
and staff members. We have chosen to call this program the WAKE360 Experience because we

hope that students will be fully developed academically, socially, and culturally upon
completion of it. Additionally, during Orientation, all first-year students attend the Making of a
Demon Deacon ceremony in which they receive pins inscribed with the Wake Forest motto,
Pro Humanitate. They are encouraged to live out Pro Humanitate during their college careers.
Our desire is that the end-of-the-year fair will serve as the Completing of the Demon Deacon
ceremony in which students college experiences will come full-circle. At this time, students will
truly know what it means to live out Pro Humanitate and will continue to live it out after their
graduation from Wake Forest.
Why WAKE360?
Graduation Requirement
Because WAKE360 is a graduation requirement, it forces students to go out into the WinstonSalem community. If WAKE360 was an optional experience opposed to a required one, students
might not choose to participate in it. As a consequence, they would never realize the value of
getting outside of their comfort zones and interacting with those from different backgrounds.
Appeal to Administration
We have carefully developed WAKE360 to work within the constraints of Wake Forests
institutional structure, making it appealing to the administration and easy for them to implement.
School Atmosphere
Members of the Admissions staff could use WAKE360 as a marketing tool to attract students that
are more creative and innovative. Our hope is that these students will choose to apply to Wake
Forest and matriculate and ultimately change the culture of our school.
Community Relations
This program would further improve Wake Forests relations with members of the WinstonSalem community as well as strengthen our institutions reputation among those who do not
much about us.
Learning Objectives
Ultimately, the goal of WAKE360 is to ensure that the whole student is developed upon their
graduation. Students who have completed the program will have learned how to:
Foster long-term relationships with group members.
Contribute ideas during group discussions.

Overcome challenges, rejections, and failures.

Set goals for long-term projects.
Engage with those whom are affected by a problem that they are trying to solve.
Appreciate the perspectives of others that might be different from their own.
Combine knowledge learned inside the classroom with outside information to develop
solutions for societal issues.

Deliverables & Expectations

1. Social media account with pictures from visits as well as project ideas
2. Long-term project that ultimately improves a local business or organization
3. Display at senior year fair with information about community project
Program Schedule
First Year
Students will meet with their advising groups on a semi-frequent basis to visit different places
around Winston-Salem together. Each group will create their own social media account to share
pictures from their adventures as well as project ideas for each place. One to three social media
posts are required per group member. Students are encouraged to use #wake360 when making
posts so that other groups can see how they are getting involved in the community as well as
what project ideas they are coming up with. Overall, this activity is supposed to be a fun way for
students to engage with their projects.
Additionally, faculty advisers will have access to their advising groups account, and they will
check it periodically to evaluate their groups progress. During the fall and spring midterms and
finals periods of their first year, students will also be required to check in with their advisers.
Second Year
By the beginning of their second year, students must determine with their advising groups which
off-campus location interests them the most and let their faculty adviser know of this interest.
Advisers can either approve or reject the location based upon whether or not other groups have
already selected the location. If the location is approved, students can begin developing an action
plan for how they plan to engage with the location of their choice. Spring semester, at the latest,
students should start carrying out their projects.
Third Year

Students are expected to be carrying out their projects throughout their third year. We understand
that a significant number of third-year students choose to study abroad during the fall semester,
so those who are not on Reynolda Campus at that time are not required to work on their projects.
Fourth Year
Students have through the fall semester of their final year to complete their community projects.
One of the last weeks of the spring semester will be designated as WAKE360 Week. During
this week, a fair will be held on the Upper Quad for senior advising groups to set up a booth with
information regarding their projects. The fair will serve as a celebration of their efforts to engage
with Winston-Salem residents. All members of the Wake Forest community are encouraged to
attend the event, particularly younger students who are looking for ideas for their own projects.
Final Thoughts
There are so many issues in the world today that are crying out for creative solutions. Our hope
is that through this program Wake Forest will produce community and global leaders that are
prepared to solve such problems. Graduates will be creatively-minded, will possess an empathic
approach to problem-solving, and will understand how to use their education and thinking skills
to generate effective and positive solutions.