Skip to main content
Penn State Altoona
Report a Concern Give Visit Apply
  • Academics
    • Majors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Research and Engagement
    • Eiche Library
    • Registrar
    • Academic Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Out-of-Class Learning
    • New Student Orientation
    • Commencement
  • Admissions & Financial Aid
    • Visit Us
    • Admissions Overview
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • How to Apply
    • Accepted Students
    • Find Your Admissions Counselor
    • Tuition and Financial Aid Resources
    • Financial Aid Basics
    • Tuition and Costs
  • Student Success
    • Student Success Center
    • The Help Tool
    • Tutoring
    • Student Affairs
    • Student and Civic Engagement
    • Health and Wellness
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
    • Safety at Penn State Altoona
    • Career Services
    • Eiche Library
  • Information For
    • Prospective Students
    • Transfer Students
    • Current Students
    • International Students
    • High School Dual Enrollment Program
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Alumni
    • Parents & Families
    • Professional Development
    • Visitors
Full site navigation menu

This dialog contains the full navigation menu for this site.

Penn State Altoona
Enter the terms you wish to search for.
Search type:
Report a Concern Give Visit Apply
  • This is Penn State Altoona
    • Welcome from the Chancellor
    • Penn State Altoona At a Glance
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • College Leadership
    • Our History
    • Campus Map
    • Current Weather Conditions
    • Livestream
  • Academics
    • Majors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Out-of-class Learning
    • Eiche Library
    • Registrar
    • Academic Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Campus Closures
  • Admissions
    • Visit Us
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • How to Apply
    • Accepted Students
    • Find Your Admissions Counselor
    • Experience Altoona
    • Virtual Tour
  • Tuition and Financial Aid
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Grants
    • Loans
    • Work-study
    • Financial Aid Basics
    • Tuition and Costs
    • Financial Aid Information
  • Student Success
    • Student Success Center
    • The Help Tool
    • Tutoring
    • Student Affairs
    • Student Leadership and Involvement
    • Health and Wellness Center
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
    • Internships
    • Safety at Penn State Altoona
    • Study Abroad/Study Away
  • Research and Engagement
    • Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry
    • Faculty Research Resources
    • Internal Grants and Awards
  • Athletics
    • Schedule
    • Facilities
    • Recreation and Club Sports
    • Staff and Coaches Directory
    • Athletic Training and Sports Physicals
    • Athletics News
    • Camps and Clinics
    • Hall of Fame

Find Information For:

  • Prospective Students
  • Transfer Students
  • Current Students
  • International Students
  • High School Dual Enrollment Program
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni
  • Parents & Families
  • Professional Development
  • Visitors

Helpful Links

  • Campus Map
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Calendar
  • Community Calendar
  • Student Success Center
  • The Help Tool
  • Faculty & Staff Directory
  • Offices and Divisions
  • Employment Opportunities

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • linkedin
  • tiktok
  1. Home
  2. Offices and Divisions
  3. Student Affairs
  4. Student Leadership and Involvement
  5. Be a Leader

Orientation Leaders

2018 Orientation Leaders Group Photo

Becoming an Orientation Leader (OL) will be one of the most positive experiences you can create for yourself and others during your college career. Welcome the new class of students, meet a large group of fellow leaders, and step out of your comfort zone to grow as a person. Not sold yet? Click on the links in the menu to learn a little bit more about the OL experience!

Training

2018 Orientation Leader Training
  • Learning your leadership strengths
  • Team building activities

Learning Outcomes for Orientation Leaders

2018 Orientation Leaders overlooking the pond

Based on Orientation Leader (OL) training and Welcome Week experiences, OLs will:

  • Understand various student cultures on campus and have increased self-awareness of own identity within these cultures.
  • Improve or refine interpersonal skills such as active listening, effective communication, recognition of emotions in self and others, and how to manage conflict.
  • Develop skills related to being a successful member of a team.
  • Demonstrate flexibility, responsibility, adaptability, and willingness to serve others.
  • Understand the ethical implications of leadership, civic, and social responsibility.
  • Report meaningful increased confidence, peer friendships, and/or mentorship experiences.
Casino Night during Welcome Week

Application

Thank you for your interest in becoming an Orientation Leader. Please fill out the application or reach out to [email protected] for more information. A member of the Office of Student Leadership and Involvement team will reach out to you promptly.

Commonly Asked Questions

Click on a question to reveal the answer.

The orientation leader (OL) team prepares and runs the super fun events for the students during the first couple of weeks of school. We emphasize the very first weekend for new students so that they have a chance to feel more acclimated to campus and meet new friends before classes start.

Be yourself, be a leader, be positive! The whole idea of Welcome Week is to welcome students to (or back to) Penn State Altoona. We want this experience to be a positive one for everyone involved so you will have fun and make amazing memories, too. We do have some expectations of our OL team. OLs must come a week before classes start for training and welcome weekend. We expect OLs to demonstrate leadership and act responsibly during this time. It is also important to note that you are committing to the program for the semester opening and Family Weekend. All orientation leaders must fill out an agreement form once they are chosen, which goes into detail further.

Practically, we pay you in t-shirts, food, and love. On top of those fun perks, you also get an unbeatable college experience, community service hours, a new group of motivated leaders who will be your new friends, and the ability to stand out on a resume after college by building transferable skills that employers across all industries look for.

Student Leadership and Involvement

  • Be Involved
    • Connect: Your online involvement community
    • Clubs and Organizations
    • Campus Activities Board
    • Fraternity and Sorority Life
    • Calendar Templates for Your Planning
  • Be Informed
    • Student Organization Resources
    • Staff and Contact Information
    • Know Your Rights: PA Good Samaritan Law
    • Hazing Prevention
  • Be a Leader
    • Orientation Leaders
    • Summer Leadership Conference
  • Be a Citizen
    • Civic Engagement and Service
    • Community Service
    • Voluntoona
    • Student Government Association
    • Altoona and Surrounding Area Great Outdoors
  • Family Weekend

Student Leadership and Involvement

103 Slep Student Center
814-949-5053
[email protected]

Student Leadership and Involvement Homepage
Penn State Altoona Connect: Design YOUR college experience
Get Connected!
PSUAlert: Weather and safety text messages
Manage Your Alerts
The Help Tool
Connect with Student Resources

Resources for Students

The Help Tool
Resources for LGBTQ Students on Penn State Campuses
Club Sports
Amtram Bus Information
Voter Registration
Civic Engagement and Community Events Group on Connect
Pennsylvania map showing Penn State's campuses with Penn State Altoona highlighted

Penn State Altoona

A full-service, four-year, residential campus located less than 45 miles from the research campus at University Park. Offering 21 four-year degrees and the first two years of over 275 Penn State majors.
  • facebook
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • linkedin
  • tiktok
Give Visit Apply
  • This is Penn State Altoona
    • Welcome from the Chancellor
    • Penn State Altoona At a Glance
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • College Leadership
    • Our History
    • Campus Map
    • Current Weather Conditions
    • Livestream
  • Academics
    • Majors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Out-of-Class Learning
    • Eiche Library
    • Registrar
    • Academic Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Campus Closures
  • Admissions
    • Visit Us
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • How to Apply
    • Accepted Students
    • Find Your Admissions Counselor
    • Experience Altoona
    • Virtual Tour
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Grants
    • Loans
    • Work-study
    • Financial Aid Basics
    • Tuition and Costs
    • Financial Aid Information
  • Student Success
    • Student Success Center
    • The Help Tool
    • Tutoring
    • Student Affairs
    • Student and Civic Engagement
    • Health and Wellness Center
    • Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging
    • Safety at Penn State Altoona
    • Career Services
    • Eiche Library
  • Research & Engagement
    • Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry
    • Faculty Research Resources
    • Internships
    • Study Abroad/Study Away
    • Internal Grants and Awards
  • Athletics
    • Schedule
    • Facilities
    • Recreation and Club Sports
    • Staff and Coaches Directory
    • Athletic Training and Sports Physicals
    • Athletics News
    • Camps and Clinics
    • Hall of Fame
  • Stay Connected
    • Faculty and Staff Directory
    • Offices and Divisions
    • Campus Calendar
    • PSUAlert Text Messaging Service
    • Penn State Altoona Connect
    • Penn State Go App
    • Penn State Student Engagement Network
Penn State University
3000 Ivyside Park, Altoona, Pennsylvania 16601 814-949-5000

Footer Legal Menu

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Directory
  • The Pennsylvania State University © 2025
  • We Are Penn State