Athletes Tara Davis-Woodhall (far left) and Hunter Woodhall (center left), with Judy Jarvis (right), executive director for the Office of Campus Engagement, at the “Beyond the Resume” Wintersession event on Jan. 25. In 2024, the athletes earned gold medals at the 2024 Olympics and Paralympics, respectively. Photo by Sameer A. Khan/Fotobuddy.
From expanded course offerings to a growing community of participants, Judy Jarvis from the Office of Community Engagement shares how Princeton’s Wintersession is evolving and what’s in store for the winter program.
With over 6,600 registrants and over 500 offerings led by 496 on-campus facilitators, 2025 marked a year of exceptional growth for Wintersession. Faculty, staff, students and guests participated in a wide range of workshops, trips and activities to foster community connection and well-being while embracing curiosity-driven learning.
“We hear from facilitators and attendees that Wintersession makes them feel relaxed, rejuvenated and contributes to their positive mental health and sense of belonging on campus,” said Judy Jarvis, executive director for the Office of Campus Engagement (OCE), which organizes Wintersession and other campus-wide initiatives. “This is exactly what we want. Wintersession is meant to encourage people to connect and learn in unexpected ways.”
This year, staff accounted for 1,097 registrants, while faculty made up 366. Additionally, 623 family members of university staff and faculty and members of the general public participated in the events open to them. Notably, 55% of all undergraduates and 61% of all graduate students signed up for Wintersession, marking a significant increase from the first Wintersession in 2021 and, more recently, in 2024.
For a behind-the-scenes look at this year’s Wintersession, we talked further with Jarvis, who shared insights into the standout moments, participation trends, the offerings that captured the most attention and her hopes for Wintersession 2026.
Wintersession has been taking place at Princeton for five years now. How does this year compare to previous Wintersessions?
One of the most significant differences between Wintersession 2025 and the previous four Wintersessions is we heard about significantly more word-of-mouth recommendations this year, with friends encouraging friends to participate. I believe this is the key to why registration increased at such a high rate this year.
When we asked around, many participants said they signed up because a friend or colleague encouraged them or a non-OCE staff member mentioned it. This is incredible news because it means Wintersession is becoming an embedded and sought-after part of the Princeton University community experience.
In addition to being proud of the growth in Wintersession attendance over these five years, it’s also been thrilling to see the increase in people wanting to lead sessions and trips. This year, we had more people leading Wintersession offerings than ever — close to 500 unique members of our community — led one or more Wintersession offerings.
Which Wintersession offerings turned out to be the most popular in 2025?
As in past years, trips and hands-on workshops (knitting, coding, cooking, etc.) were the most sought-after offerings in Wintersession 2025. This year, we focused on expanding the number of spots in hands-on offerings, as well as expanding the number of trips offered and the number of spots on trips so that more people could participate.
For instance, in 2022, we had 17 trips; in 2023, 50 trips; in 2024, 66 trips; and this year, we offered 74 trips.
Were you able to participate in any sessions this year?
I attended a session led by staff member Gina Talt, “Black Gold: Behind the Scenes Tour of Composting at Princeton.” In below-freezing temperatures, a group of 20 of us were inside a tent learning all about the on-campus composting practices the Facilities and Sustainability teams have been working on.
In the group were post-docs, first-year undergraduates, graduate students, and staff, all united in our interest. It made me so happy and proud to be with that group at Gina’s great session because it embodied what Wintersession is going for: re-mixing campus and having people interact and meet each other who usually have no opportunity to.
This year, you facilitated the “Beyond the Resume” Wintersession closer event with Olympic power couple Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall. What was that experience like, and what do you think was the biggest takeaway from the event?
It was an honor to share the stage with Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall, and I found them to be warm, smart and kind both on stage and off. I enjoyed our conversation, especially when they discussed integrating failures into your process and seeing them as necessary instead of as negative.
When reflecting on what offerings performed well, do you have any wish list items for Wintersession 2026?
This is such a good question. I want more knitters and crocheters to come out of the woodwork and lead more how-to sessions in Wintersession 2026 because so many folks want to learn. I also love the sessions led by our Campus Dining chefs, and I hope they continue to lead their highly sought-after cooking classes. But most of all, I just want people to continue to share their passions — whatever they may be!
Read more about this year’s Wintersession on the University homepage.