Co-Curricular Activities

The Honors Program is not all about coursework. As an Honors student, you’ll also enjoy cultural, professional and social opportunities.

We even have an Honors Program Lounge (Room 216 in the Library) and monthly lunchtime pizza parties.

As an Honors Program participant, you are a member of the Elmhurst College Honors Organization (ECHO), a student-run group that plans social and cultural activities, coordinates service projects, offers opportunities for leadership and encourages participation.

ECHO offers fun activities such as:

• The Honors Program New Member Retreat, an overnight trip to Wisconsin where members bond while participating in camp activities such as horseback riding, canoeing, and team-building activities
• The Harvest Festival, a campus-wide event featuring fall activities such as pumpkin decorating and making caramel apples
• Dinner/theatre events for productions at the College’s Mill Theatre with a pizza dinner in downtown Elmhurst before the show
• Service opportunities, such as hosting visits for residents of Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, gift wrapping for the Humanitarian Service Project, making holiday cards for local seniors and packing cookies for Chicago’s Night Ministry
• Trips to downtown Chicago to attend opera and theater performances, concerts, and the annual Chicago Humanities Festival

ECHO leadership is comprised of elected students who sit on the ECHO Leadership Board, which is coordinated by the ECHO Executive Chair.

• Service Chair provides opportunities for community outreach throughout the Chicago area and works collaboratively with other service organizations on campus.
• Co-Programming Chairs plan social and cultural events. Some events are formal, such as lectures and performances; others are less formal, such as trips downtown or small group dinners.
• Retreat/Peer Leader Chair helps plan the annual retreat for incoming Honors students at the beginning of each academic year. They also oversee the Peer Leaders, students who provide resources for incoming Honors students to help ease their transition to college and enhance participation in the Honors Program.
• Social Media Coordinator/Lounge Manager is responsible for managing ECHO’s social media accounts, supplying the lounge with food & beverages, and posting Honors Program announcements, pictures, and decorations.
• Executive Chair is the president and main contact for incoming communications. The Chair manages ECHO finances, serves as liaison between the Honors Program and ECHO, organizes monthly executive committee meetings, and works with fellow chairs to provide updates for the Honors Program newsletter, Blue.

For more information, contact Mary Kay Mulvaney.