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Family Weekend

Family Weekend (formerly Parents’ Weekend) is a tradition taking place each fall. Cadets welcome family to the campus for the weekend, starting Thursday evening.

Family Weekend 2024 takes from 27-29 September on the campus, at the rugby pitch in Stonington, and on the Thames River. Weekend highlights include musical performances, six athletic events, four socials, and a regimental review. Some events require advance registration.

Please check back for more details of the event.

Schedule and Maps

Event Registration

The following events required advance registration and payment:

Pasta dinner (Friday, 1800 and 1900 seatings)
Classes of 2025, 2026, & 2027 Lunch (Friday, 1100 – 1300)
Class of 2024 Lunch (Friday, 1115-1300)
USCG Art Showcase (Friday, 1600-1800)
Pre-Game Picnic Lunch (Saturday, 1100-1315)

Football Game Tickets

Visitors must purchase tickets to attend the game unless they hold season tickets.

Guests holding season tickets should use assigned seats in section D. All other seating is first come, first served.

Accessible seating: Proceed to section A via ground level ramp at the south end of stadium.

Parking & Ground Transportation

Friday and Saturday: Visitor parking is offsite, at the Crystal Mall (850 Hartford Turnpike, Waterford, CT) next to the Olive Garden restaurant. Shuttle buses will run from the mall to the campus on Friday and Saturday starting at 0700. The last shuttle will depart from Leamy Hall at 1830. See Offsite Parking Map.

Golf carts will provide lifts on campus. Just flag down a ride!

Thursday and Sunday: Visitors may park on campus.

Volunteer and handicap accessible parking: Use the N Lot on campus on Friday. On Saturday use the N and R Lots.

Cadet Liberty

Please check with your cadet to confirm his or her personal schedule. Liberty expires for all cadets at 2200 on Sunday.

Family Weekend - Gallery

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Contact Information

Parents Weekend

LCDR Thomas Olsen

Project Officer
(860) 701-6874
Thomas.E.Olsen@uscga.edu

Sponsor Family Application

Thank you for submitting your application to be part of the Sponsor Family Program. Your application will be processed in the upcoming week. Coast Guard Academy’s policy on background screening now requires all adults (everyone 18 and older living in the home) who volunteer to mentor, teach, coach or sponsor cadets, whether on or off Coast Guard Academy grounds, to be screened every 5 years. They are required to provide personal information (name, birth date and social security number) for the purpose of conducting a criminal background check.

The Security Officer at the Coast Guard Academy, CWO2 Gina Polkowski, is overseeing this process. Her email is: Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.

Sponsor Family designations fall into several different categories. Below are the guidelines to help you determine how best to meet the background screening requirement:

If you are Coast Guard active duty you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
If you are a Civilian working for the Coast Guard you do not need to apply for an additional Background Check. You will be vetted through the Coast Guard system by CWO2 Polkowski.
If you are non-Coast Guard Active Duty, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
If you are non-Coast Guard civilian who has a current security clearance or National Agency check, you are required to provide proof of your current security clearance or National Agency Check that is to be emailed by your Command Security Officer (CSO)/ Security Office to CWO2 Polkowski at Gina.M.Polkowski@uscg.mil.
All civilians in the families who are 18 years or older and do not have a security clearance or a National Agency Check are required to be vetted through Mind Your Business, the third party vendor hired by the Coast Guard Academy for the vetting process.

After you complete your application, please e-mail the Sponsor Family Program Coordinator at CadetFamilySponsorProgram@uscga.edu. In your e-mail, you must include the e-mail address and phone number of every adult living in the home. The Sponsor Family Coordinator will then initiate the background check process and you will receive an email with further instructions.

Important things to note:

There is a Sponsor Family Training that is a one-hour training which we ask sponsors to attend once every four years. This training is designed to give you an overview of the program, what is expected of you as a sponsor, and what you can expect from your cadets. This training will also help familiarize you with the cadet regulations onboard CGA. You will be notified via e-mail once the training is scheduled.

The matching process of swabs to families will occur during July and August. Please bear with us and remain flexible through this process. There will be a meet and greet scheduled on Campus, typically in late August. This will give families an opportunity to formally meet their cadet if they have not already done so. Details on this will also be via email.