Black Bear Bridge Week

August 24-28, 2026

Your First Days on Campus

All incoming first-year students participate in Bridge Week, a week-long experience that takes place directly before the start of the fall semester.

Black Bear Bridge Week is UMaine’s way of welcoming all students to Black Bear Nation — celebrating and preparing you for the exciting next step in your academic journey.

Students will gain valuable information about campus resources and be prepared for a successful first year at UMaine.

A Week of Discovery and Connection

Move-in early during Maine Hello

Spend time building connections

Join the Class of 2030 for Convocation

Be part of events like Black Bear Bash

A full calendar of events will be available in August

A photo of students siting on a bed smiling during Maine Hello

Bridge Week Tracks

Students participate in Bridge Week through one of three tracks:

Black Bear Bridge

The Bridge Week experience for all incoming students. Some students participating in Research Learning Experiences (RLEs) will also join Black Bear Bridge.

Required Academic Program or RLE Bridge

Some academic programs and RLEs require their own Bridge Week experience. Students in these programs will follow their academic program’s schedule.

See a list of courses with associated Bridge Weeks

Optional Interest-Based Bridge

Students can choose to participate in Bridge Week experiences focused on specific interests or communities.

See a list of interest-based Bridge Weeks

A photo of students looking through binoculars

Participation & Opt-Out Policy

All incoming first-year students are automatically opted into Black Bear Bridge

Opt-Out Deadline: August 1

Students who opt-out:

Cannot move into campus housing until Friday, August 28
Will not be able to participate in Black Bear Bridge activities

Students in academic programs with required Bridge Weeks cannot opt-out.

Frequently Asked Questions

It depends on your program.

Students will participate in one of the following:

Black Bear Bridge
Required Academic Program or RLE Bridge
Optional Interest-Based Bridge

If your academic program requires a Bridge Week experience, you are required to participate in that program.

Students may opt-out of participating in Black Bear Bridge and must do so by August 1.

Students who opt-out by August 1, 2026:

Will not be billed
Will not be eligible to participate in Bridge Week
Cannot move into their room until Friday, August 28, 2026

Bridge Week Fee: $450

This fee is added to all incoming first-year student bills.

The fee covers:

All Bridge Week programming
Events and activities
Materials and resources

Students with other campus commitments can still participate in Bridge Week.

Athletics

Out-of-season athletes participate fully in Bridge Week.
In-season athletes may have schedule conflicts but will participate as much as possible.

Marching Band & Dance Team

Students should consult with:

Their academic program
The School of Performing Arts

Greek Recruitment

Greek recruitment does not begin until after classes start, so it will not conflict with Bridge Week.

Information about Bridge Week will come from different sources depending on your participation track.