Social Justice Leadership Retreat

Sharing in the Social Justice Journey

Why should you attend one of the two retreats offered this year?

Don’t take our word for it; here is what some of the students who attended a previous retreat have said:

“The theories are everything I’ve covered in classes, but the honesty was amazing. It is so rare that we really let down our guard and tearfully tell people how racism, sexism, heterosexism, etc. has damaged us.”

“My favorite aspect of the retreat was the atmosphere and warmth I felt and how much I learned.”

“I can see myself taking small steps to make a difference and actually having them matter.”

“After being submersed in t his atmosphere of feeling, thinking, and accepting, it will be all but impossible for me to forget what I have learned.”

“I wasn’t sure what would happen here, but it exceeded my expectations for quality of learning and valuable experiences.”

What is the Social Justice Leadership Retreat?

University of Minnesota Social Justice Leadership Retreat takes 56 students and 18 facilitators away from campus for 3 days and 2 nights of amazing activities and story telling. After arriving mid-afternoon on day one, the group spends time developing trust and relationships in small groups of 7 students and 2 facilitations as well as through large group activities. The following two days are used to facilitate a journey for each student in exploring their own identities, sharing their personal story in their small group, listening to the personal stories of others, and attending training sessions on privilege, being an ally, and being a leader. Five successful retreats have already taken place since January 2005.

Social Justice Leadership Retreat #1

Depart campus Friday, November 9 at 1 PM and return to campus Sunday, November 11at 4 PM.

Social Justice Leadership Retreat #2

Depart campus Saturday, January 19 at 1 PM and return to campus Sunday, January 21 at 4 PM.

Other Important Details (same for both retreats)

Location: Camp Courage (Annandale, MN, 60 miles northwest of the Twin Cities)
Who: 56 students and 18 facilitators from all areas of campus
Cost: Participants are requested to pay a $20 materials fee (Scholarships are available upon request. No one will be turned away for financial reasons). All other expenses, including transportation, food, and lodging, will be covered by the University of Minnesota. Do not send money with your application, we will take care of that later.

Mission/Goals

The Social Justice Leadership Retreat is designed to help educate students about the concepts of social justice and community leadership through exploration of their own stories, the stories of others, explore issues of oppression and privilege, develop contacts and support networks across campus, and develop skills to be an ally to many different groups.

Through exposure to theory and extensive experiential learning situations, students will:

• Gain new knowledge around social justice issues
• Sharpen their skills of self awareness
• Learn how to integrate what they gain from the retreat into their lives and into the lives of others