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Horizons

The Horizons Leadership Conference is a 3-day, 2-night leadership-oriented campus experience exclusively for first years coming to McMaster. Through this, McMaster students have the chance to develop lifelong leadership skills, explore their new home and gain valuable insight into themselves and their future.

Due to the changing climate of COVID-19, the in-person conference has been put on pause this year. However, we are committed to help ease the transition for you during these difficult times and will be using our social media accounts to answer as many of your questions as possible! We’ll be posting content such as weekly takeovers by upper years from different faculties, what I wish I knew in first year, FAQ’s and more! Additionally, starting June, we will be hosting online webinars regarding different topics with guests from students to staff at the University. Feel free to follow us on our Instagram or Facebook at @MSU_Horizons and dm us any of your questions!

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Expandable List

The conference fee includes:

  • Two nights accommodation in a McMaster University residence.
  • All meals and snacks throughout the conference.
  • A Horizons conference t-shirt.
  • Transportation to and from downtown Hamilton for a field trip during the conference.
  • Various activities and events throughout the conference including a dance!
  • Admission price to see an inspiring motivational speaker.

Horizons respects your privacy and we aim to protect all confidential information by utilizing the information only for purposes indicated. All forms and confidential information will be destroyed and discarded after the conference weekend.

All questions can be forwarded to the conference coordinator at: horizons@msu.mcmaster.ca

Throughout the weekend, delegates participate in several sessions. Sessions are done in small groups and consist of different activities. They provide a great opportunity to get closer to your peers and to learn more about important topics. Sessions range from being silly to serious and are designed to be adaptable so that they appeal to everyone. Some of this year’s session themes are wellness, growth, empowerment. All sessions have tangible takeaways that delegates can apply throughout their university experience. Everyone’s experience with sessions is different, but they are sure to be a memorable part of your Horizons experience!

An example of past sessions can be viewed on Issuu by following the link below:

For Sponsorship information please view or guide on Issuu by following the link below:

Due to current climate of COVID-19 the in-person conference has been cancelled and therefore we are not hiring a larger team. Thank you for your interest and we hope you apply for the conference in the future!

The Horizons Conference Team is made up of 2 branches; the Planning Team and the Staff Team. All positions will be posted in the Employment section of the website when they become available.

The Planning Team includes the following positions:

  • Conference Coordinator
  • Volunteer & Logistics Coordinator
  • Media & Design Coordinator
  • Sponsorship & Fundraising Coordinators
  • Outreach Coordinators
  • Sessions Coordinators
  • Events Coordinators

The conference Staff Team is made up of 3 groups of positions:Leadership Developers (LD’s)

Leadership Developers (LD’s) are paired with two co-LD’s to lead a group of 8-10 first-year student delegates through the Horizons conference weekend. Primarily, LD’s facilitate reflection-focused breakout sessions for students during the conference weekend on themes such as communication, empowerment, goal-setting, and self-awareness. LD’s will strive to foster self-reflection and empowerment within conference delegates.

Events Team

Events Team members assist in the background logistics for the conference by setting up and facilitating large group activities. The team members help to ensure that the Planning Team is prepared to carry out the full agenda of the conference weekend. Events Team members will strive to foster self-development and empowerment within conference delegates through large group events.

Media Events Team

Media Team members will be responsible for capturing photo and video media over the conference weekend. They will also be responsible for creating the conference recap video to be presented at closing ceremonies. They will also edit conference photos during and after the conference weekend for release no later than one week following conference weekend. Advanced skills are not necessary.