Mennonite Church USA colleges and universities will host a series of virtual Family Nights in conjunction with their Mennonite College Days schedule because COVID-19 has made an in-person collaborative travel schedule not possible.

In a typical year, admissions counselors from the five colleges — Bethel College, Bluffton University, Eastern Mennonite University, Goshen College and Hesston College — travel to private Mennonite high schools during the fall recruitment season and host chapel services. They set up tables in the halls, host giveaways and games, and hold individual meetings with prospective students. At some schools, they host evening information sessions to connect with families.

This year, representatives will “visit” each chapel service virtually with a pre-recorded video and host Instagram raffles and virtual campus visits. There will be Family Night information sessions by Zoom video conferencing. Prospective high school students, families and youth groups are invited to attend, including those who do not attend a Mennonite high school. Students are welcome to register for whichever session suits their schedule. Topics will include what to do as a high school sophomore, junior and senior to be a strong applicant, financial aid, the value of Mennonite higher education and how to prepare for college visits. Representatives of all five institutions will be on hand to speak privately with families afterward or to schedule a more in-depth visit.

Family Night evening sessions are as follows:

Sept. 21 Hillcrest Academy, Kalona, Iowa (all are welcome)
Sept. 30 Bethany Christian School, Goshen, Ind. (all are welcome)
Oct. 5 Dock Mennonite Academy, Lansdale, Pa. (all are welcome)
Oct. 6 Lancaster Mennonite School in Pennsylvania (all are welcome)
Oct. 8 Eastern Mennonite High School, Harrisonburg, Va. (all are welcome)
Oct. 12 Central Christian , Kidron, Ohio (all are welcome)
Oct. 15 All are welcome

To register for a session, visit mennoniteeducation.org/mcd.