After Hours and Weekend Activities
Activities will be updated when additional special events or opportunities become available. All listed activities are included in the housing and dining fee per two-week, three-week, and four-week sessions. Students who commute to class daily may sign up on the first day of the session for activities and pay $25.00 per activity.
Session 1 - Sunday, June 16
• 12-4pm Students fly into DCA or train into Union Station
• 1-4pm Students living on campus check in and tour AU’s campus
• 6 pm Ice breakers, Pizza Welcome Dinner, Orientation to AU
Welcome to American University! Students living on campus arrive today. Those needing a ride from Reagan National Airport or Union Station should arrive between 12:00 noon and 4:00 p.m. The Teaching Assistants will meet you at the gate! (We must have flight arrival information in advance.) After arrival, check into Hughes Hall. Then take a tour of the campus and participate in our pizza welcome dinner.
Monday, June 17
• 8:30am Welcome Reception in MGC for morning classes
• 12:30pm Welcome reception in MGC for afternoon classes
• EagleBucks dinner, National Cathedral & Ice Cream Social
Students and parents are welcome to join us for the welcome reception on the first day of classes to meet their professors and teaching assistants. After classes are over, students will visit the National Cathedral, an aesthetically beautiful building, located in Northwest Washington, and just a short walk from the American University campus.
Tuesday, June 18
• EagleBucks dinner
• Old Post Office Pavilion & Washington Monuments Tour
Head downtown for the highest view of the city besides the Washington Monument at the Old Post Office Pavilion where you can shop for souvenirs, eat some snacks and tour the clock tower. Walk from the Post Office Pavilion to the National Mall where you can view the Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, World War II Memorial and more!
Wednesday, June 19
• EagleBucks Dinner
• Swim and watch a movie on campus (swimming: 6-8 pm)
Thursday, June 20
• EagleBucks Dinner
• Visit the Smithsonian National Zoological Park
Enjoy a warm summer evening at the Smithsonian's National Zoo and explore the indoor and outdoor exhibits that feature over 2,000 mammals, birds, reptiles and more. Wander through the zoo grounds and see the famous pandas.
Friday, June 21
• EagleBucks dinner
• Explore DC's biggest native event, Artomatic! Held regularly since 1999, Artomatic is the Washington, D.C. area's one-of-a-kind multimedia event. It involves hundreds of regional artists, performers and volunteers. The free event is an arts extravaganza, featuring paintings, sculpture, photography, music, theater, poetry, dance, workshops and more!
Saturday, June 22
• Visit the Newseum, DC’s most interactive museum with a view of the Capitol
• Play games and watch a movie on campus
The Newseum is DC’s most interactive museum on all things news and media related. The museum features the front pages of local, national and international newspapers, a Pulitzer Prize winning photography exhibit, a 9/11 exhibit and part of the Berlin Wall.
Sunday, June 23
• 12-4pm 16mm Film students fly into DCA or train into Union
• 1-4pm New students living on campus check in
• Washington Nationals vs. Colorado Rockies
Welcome to American University! Students living on campus arrive today. Those needing a ride from Reagan National Airport should arrive between 12:00 noon and 4:00 p.m. The Teaching Assistants will meet you at the gate! (We must have flight arrival information in advance.) After moving into Hughes Hall, new students will join the group for a night out at the Nationals ballpark.
Monday, June 24
• EagleBucks dinner
• AU Admissions Info Session
• Play games and watch a movie on campus
After a busy first week and a full weekend students get some time to relax on campus. Take advantage of Jacobs Fitness center to use the gym or the pool, get a game of frisbee started on the quad, or watch a movie on the big screen in Weschler Theater.
Tuesday, June 25
• EagleBucks dinner
• View a movie premiere at Friendship Heights Mazza Gallerie (in 2012, it was People Like Us).
Wednesday, June 26
• EagleBucks dinner
• Outdoor Concert at Strathmore, a cultural and artistic venue in North Bethesda
Thursday, June 27
• EagleBucks dinner
• Kickball and Talent Show
Time to revisit your favorite gym class game… KICKBALL!!! That's right - we’ll be organizing a program-wide kickball game on an official NCAA-size baseball field. The winners of the kickball game will get bragging rights. Then it's time for the DWC Talent Show - the perfect opportunity to show off your skills and creativity.
Friday, June 28
• 9am Presentations & Screenings (Families Welcome)
• 12pm Session 1 students check out and depart
• Remaining students eat an EagleBucks dinner and head to the Kennedy Center for a live performance
Today is the day we have all been waiting for, the showcase of all your work! Students, friends and families are invited to join us on campus at American University at 9am to hear presentations, watch student films, view photography and share experiences from session one of Discover the World of Communication.
Saturday, June 29
• Visit the Smithsonian Museum Exhibit (TBA)
• Shop and eat at Union Station
Tour one of the amazing Smithsonian museums. Just a short walk from the Mall is Union Station—definitely not just a train station anymore! It now holds plenty of shops to browse and restaurants to dine at.
