College isn’t all about books, tests, and papers. At Lake Forest, what you do outside the classroom is as important to your future as what you study. That’s why we have the Forester Five foundations for student growth:
They’re the purpose behind all the co-curricular activities, programs, and events offered to students here every day. So while you think you’re just having fun at the basketball game, you’re actually learning Forester Five: Engage in Community. Or that lunchtime Soup and Stories presentation by the biracial couple? That’s Forester Five: Embrace Diversity.
To learn more about the Forester Five, including specific ways our students experience them, read on.
Think with Purpose
The College’s mission statement declares that we encourage students to learn to think for themselves and states that education ennobles the individual. Our campus culture provides an atmosphere that is conducive to holistic learning and growth that transforms the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. We value and celebrate the transformative process that occurs in all facets of student learning.
Engage in Community
The College’s mission statement expects that we prepare our students to become positive, contributing citizens within their local and global communities. We prepare our students to have the ability and interest to be actively engaged in their communities. Students will learn to be responsible and to respect each other, their environment, and themselves at all times.
Embrace Diversity
The College’s mission statement affirms that we encourage our students to embrace cultural diversity and learn to become effective members of the global community. Students will become adept at approaching differences openly, honestly, and respectfully, and enriching their educational experience by learning from and about each other. We value diversity in our ethnic and cultural backgrounds, in equal measure with the breadth and depth of the many other experiences that our students, staff, and faculty bring to campus.
Achieve your Goals
The College’s mission statement emphasizes that we honor achievement. We provide our students with intentional experiences that will allow them to define and embody their values and goals. Students will determine what it means for them to personally succeed, and will develop a life-long ability to define their individual path in life.
Lead the Way
The College’s mission statement states that we ennoble the individual, foster independent research, and celebrate personal growth; as we teach our students these values, they develop leadership skills. As they develop their leadership skills, students are also encouraged to find their passion, engage in social issues, and participate in service learning projects. Students are involved in the College’s governance system, and through a combination of these experiences our students become ethical, thoughtful, and socially conscious leaders.
“Everything we do in Student Affairs, from programming to policy setting to one-on-one work with students, is grounded in the Forester Five foundations for student growth.”
Learn about the Office of Student Affairs.
Did you know?
“Co-curricular” is a fancy term for anything not directly related to academics, such as athletics, residence life, club activities, or even going to concerts and shows. Co-curricular life is an important part of your time as a Forester.