Encounter

Group of students on the steps in Dahlgren Quad

Drawing on Georgetown’s historic commitments to religious pluralism and interreligious understanding, Encounter will equip incoming first-year students — those who identify with a particular religious tradition, and those who are unaffiliated — to build relationships that transcend differences and divisions, to engage in interfaith dialogue and to explore opportunities for collaboration toward the most pressing concerns of our world. 

Seeing how Georgetown respects the diversity of faith traditions practiced at Georgetown was incredible. I was not just educated but immersed in the religions that were presented. When it came time to visit the masjid, I was so excited to see Islam represented at school and to have peers who were equally excited to experience the masjid alongside me. I realized that Encounter showed me how Georgetown is more than a university. It is a spiritual home.

~ Raha Murtuza, F’28, 2024 Encounter Cohort

Program Highlights

Encounter takes place in the week leading up to New Student Orientation (NSO). Students will spend the week both on the Hilltop campus and at the Calcagnini Contemplative Center (CCC), Georgetown’s retreat center in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our week together will include:

Apply to Encounter

The application opens mid-May. Applications are due on the date indicated on the Pre-Orientation Programs application form. Students will be notified of their application decision by early July. Students are encouraged to wait until a decision has been communicated before making final travel arrangements.

Link to Apply

Meet Our Team

Encounter is imagined, designed, and supported by the interreligious chaplains and staff of Campus Ministry. Click here to meet our team. 

Contact Us

Questions? Email us at encounter@georgetown.edu