What is APO at U of M like?

We are a co-educational, community service fraternity with approximately 300 members. The three pillars of our fraternity are leadership, friendship and service (you can find detailed examples of the opportunities offered underneath each pillar below!) and we strive to have diversity amongst our members in terms of majors, professional interests and social identities. Involvement varies among our members; for many members APO becomes their largest focus outside of academics as they take on various leadership roles in our chapter. For many others, APO is one of several organizations they belong to. Both “types” of members are appreciated assets to APO; we allow and encourage you to tailor the level and nature of your involvement to your interests!


Leadership

APO provides abundant possibilities to develop leadership skills and experience that serves our members during their college and professional careers. Some examples are listed below:

Executive Board

Serving on our 9 person E-Board is the highest form of leadership because it is the opportunity to lead the Gamma Pi chapter. Specific positions are listed on the "About Us" tab above. E-Board members run weekly chapter meetings, host weekly Office Hours, and participate in weekly E-Board meetings.

Chair Positions

Chairs carry out events and projects under each VP. They plan, coordinate, and help run events for other Brothers. All chairs must attend All Chair Retreat (ACR), which is a series of presentations on topics such as promotion, budgeting, event planning logistics, risk management, inclusivity, etc. presented by the E-Board.

Conferences

Conferences are an awesome opportunity to attend presentations and participate in discussions about all things APO. This is also a cool opportunity to meet advisors and brothers from other chapters across the nation.

Be a Big

Serving as a Big is the opportunity to take pledges under you wing and guide them through the ins and outs of APO at the University of Michigan. You will act as a mentor to your little(s) and help them accomplish their pledge requirements.

Launch LEADS Seminars

LEADS courses are instructed by our wonderful Advisor Maggie who teaches us how to apply the fundamentals of effective leadership. The courses are also available online.

APO IMPACT

APO IMPACT is a national training program to give chapter leaders and alumni volunteers the skills and insight on how to run more effective chapter meetings. APO IMPACT can be taken live or through resource documents. The topics include risk management, officer transitions, leadership development, etc.

Fellowship

In order to foster a friendly and fun atmosphere in our chapter, we host approximately 5 fellowships, per week, in order to offer a wide variety of events so everyone can find something they truly enjoy! It is not mandatory to go to all, or even most of these; in fact, for active members there is a minimum requirement of 4 per semester (although many end up attending more because there are so many awesome opportunities to hang out with your APBros!)

Barn Dance
APO rents out an entire barn and everyone wears farmer-inspired or farm-animal-themed outfits. Activities include eating some fall favorite snack, such as cinnamon sugar donuts and apple cider, dancing to our favorite playlists, and of course bonding with our APO bros! Most creative outfit wins the costume competition.
IM Sports Teams
The APO IM team plays two sports per semester! Sports include flag football, basketball, broomball, and more!
Retreat
Every semester, APO stays overnight at a local camp where brothers get a true feel for APO because the event encompasses all three pillars of friendship, leadership, and service. APO bros start the night off by carpooling to the camp, participating in bonding activities surrounding leadership themes, and end the night with s’mores and board games. The next morning, the service project typically includes helping the facility prepare for seasonal changes by reorganizing equipment. Breakfast and Lunch are provided!
Banquet
Dinner and an overnight stay in Windsor, Canada to celebrate all of the amazing things brothers have accomplished during the year. The Biggest fellowship of winter semester!
Study Nights
Our chapter hosts study nights at various academic buildings on campus throughout the semester as a way to encourage APO bros to study for exams and be productive. These events are a reminder that we are all in this together!
Happy Hour
APO members take advantage of all the awesome happy hour deals around Ann Arbor and eat, drink and chat at different restaurants every week!
Coffee Chats
Coffee chats are a great opportunity to meet new APO bros in a relaxed environment where you can enjoy good coffee and chat!
Group Dinners
Group Dinners take place at various local restaurants ranging from Noodles & Company to Pizza House. This is a great opportunity to bond with other APO bros over a good meal together!
Game/Movie Nights
Game and Movie nights are times when APO bros can take some time to escape the stress of school by relaxing and bonding with each other!

Service

As a community service organization, we offer a wide array of opportunities to participate in types of service you are passionate about. Our chapter has had several semesters in which we have all together completed over 10,000 hours of service! A few examples of great projects and committees are:

Blood Battle (fall) & We Challenge You (winter)

Blood Battle in the Fall competes against OSU for most pints of blood donated! We Challenge You is a Winter semester blood drive that competes against Michigan State, Penn State, Notre Dame, and Oakland University. APO volunteers help donors check-in and facilitate the smooth running of each event.

Alternative Breaks

For our spring break trip, we work with Champion Athletes of the Ozarks in Springfield, Missouri, an organization committed to working with kids and adults with disabilities. For our summer trip, we travel to Killen, Texas and spend a week at Peaceable Kingdom Retreat for Children, a camp that empowers and de-strigmatizes kids with disabilities.

Passing Notes

Passing Notes is our pen pal program, where APO partners with one of the first grade classrooms at Angell Elementary School. APO brothers are assigned to one of the students in the class and spend the semester exchanging letters, as well as attending reading days with the kids twice a week!

Animals Events

From dogs and cats to rabbits and sloths, APO offers many animal related events. Some organizations we serve are: Best Buddies, Creature Conservancy, and Great Lakes Rabbit Sanctuary. We plan many animals events including animal movie nights, crafting events, visiting cat cafes, and hangouts with Reggie the Campus Corgi!

National Service Week and Spring Youth Service Day

National Service Week is designated as the first week of November in order to unify chapters with a national theme and increase the impact they have on the communities they serve. Spring Youth Service Day is one of APO’s largest service events and is an opportunity to provide service to the youth of all nations.

Detroit Outreach

APO works with many organizations outside of the immediate Ann Arbor area, including projects in Detroit. Along with being annual participants in the Detroit Partnership Day, we plan a variety of additional projects. Some organizations we work with are: Keep Growing Detroit, Capuchin Soup Kitchen, Gleaners’ Food Bank, and Arts and Scraps Warehouse.

Alpha House

Alpha House is a temporary shelter in Ann Arbor that provides a roof for families as they get back on their feet! APO provides various meals throughout the semester for families staying at the shelter. During the meals we cook, serve, clean. and socialize with the families.

Knitwits

Knitwits is a weekly APO event where brothers come together and knit scarves and hats for the homeless. As one of our major events, APO is responsible for donating a multitude of items each semester to the Ginsberg Center, who distributes the knitted products to the homeless.

Dance Marathon at the University of Michigan

APO sends a team of dancers every year to dance for 24 hours straight "For The Kids” as a way of fundraising and generating awareness for pediatric rehabilitation programs. The funds that APO helps raise go directly to the Motts Children Hospital to fund their pediatric programs.

Relay For Life

Relay for Life is an organization that helps to raise awareness and fight against cancer. In order to prepare for the event, our APO team fundraises for an entire semester then participates in a 12-hour long ceremony to honor those affected by cancer and those working to cure it.

Night Ride

Night Ride is an event held Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights where fellow brothers sign up to drive other brothers home. This event allows our brothers to get home safely after spending late nights on campus and minimizes the risk of brothers who would otherwise be walking home alone.

Military

Military events are held weekly on campus where brothers come together to write letters to veterans and other military personnel. Each card is full of positivity, fun facts, and an appreciation for those who have served our country. These cards are donated to the VA Hospital on campus where they are distributed to retired military members.

APO Cares

Brothers get together and make care packages for fellow students going through a tough midterms or finals! This event is meant to remind brothers to take care of themselves with items like face masks, candy, mints, etc. These little packages go a long way in reminding brothers they aren’t alone in their struggles and brighten their days.

Sustainability

APO works with sustainability groups on campus to support the environment and generate awareness for sustainability causes. Brothers participate in activities like the FeelGood Deli where they cook and deliver grilled cheese sandwiches to raise money for organizations combating poverty with sustainable development.

Crafts for Mott

APO brothers come together and make fun, personalized crafts for children in the Motts Children Hospital. To make pediatric patients feel more comfortable and to remind them they are loved, our brothers make posters, cards, and bracelets for patients going through some of the most difficult times in their lives.