Then, prepare the needed equipment like fishing rods, boots, hooks, and bait. 6:00 PM SESSION 3 - Bring Bible/Notebook (Meeting Room) Human Tic Tac Toe, Message, and Small Group Breakout. You can follow up the lunch with fun activities like icebreakers, a dance session, or other activities on your to-do list. Choose the right role models Source: Peerspace Having a memorable guest speaker or facilitator is key to hosting a great youth retreat. Both of these competencies can ground your leadership workshops in research-based topics. High-energy songs can also work beautifully to get everyones energy up at critical times, while softer tunes can be played in the background during brainstorming sessions. Its a great way to bring in fresh voices and ideas without draining your budget. Instructors should distribute a list of provocative statements before class, allowing students to read ahead. Scavenger hunts arent just for kids. It is pretty common to have the critical problems in a company simply solved over lunch. The sporting activities help keep your team members fit while developing a strong team spirit. Research shows that breaks can increase productivity by helping people refocus on workshop goals. %PDF-1.5 We provide a variety of retreat themes that include dramatic skits, meaningful activities, and music, making every retreat a unique and Catholic experience. There are several variations on this, such as building a pyramid with paper cups, but the idea is to promote communication and collaboration in a leadership exerciseand provide a little incentive as well. Dont forget to debrief your own experience as the retreat planner. If a tribe is united only by agreement, as soon as times change, agreement has to be reestablished., Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie The Danger of a Single Story, Show a people asone thing, as only one thing, over and over again and thatis what they become. Know the length of the route before you start hiking. Also, you can place a time limit on how long a player can say a word. After a two-mile run each morning, you'll have a full schedule of workshops, critique groups, writing time and social events. Done right, it provides closure for the experience while motivating students to follow through on the goals they set and maintain the relationships they built. If you're having a one-day retreat, this game could take place first thing in the morning. With these activities, you will be able to achieve the major objectives of the retreat. This might take some students out of their comfort zone but it encourages teamwork and collaboration. Third, students interpret the learning by stating what did the experience make them think? Classroom Advent Activities. A retreat is a meeting that is typically designed and organized specifically to facilitate the ability of a group to step back from their day-to-day demands and activities for an extended period of concentrated discussion, dialogue, and strategic thinking about the organization's future or about specific issues. These activities help them exercise physically, which builds their mental sharpness. Retreat Participation Nearly 750 students nearly a quarter of the student body took part in a retreat or contemplative program at the Joyce Contemplative Center or online during the 2019-20 academic year. Each student on the inside is paired with a student on the outside; they face each other. For instance, you can invite a motivational speaker for positive thinking and some form of encouragement. Other early April events include: April 2: International Children's Book DayCelebrate ICBD 500 by calling attention to children's books. If not, then you can find a third-party provider. It is essential to decide and be familiar with the destination. This is a classic for a reason. You could even exchange the final products as gifts at the end of the retreat, display them in your office, or use them to tell the story of your retreat to other departments. Bonus points if their article somehow relates to your course material. March 9, 2021. Then, they can ask students to indicate whether they agree, disagree or are neutral on the topic in advance, using an online discussion thread or Google Doc. After all, most of your coworkers have likely seen (and done) it all. endobj Typically, I do this through experiential group activities. 16. Have a silent disco Source: Peerspace A silent disco is a unique breakout session idea that can give your attendees an energy boost without requiring a live band or party venue. You gotta eat during your retreat anyway. 3. Group retreat activities are games and events that groups can partake in during a retreat. Sometimes, we as facilitators get so caught up in designing the activity that we forget the original purpose. And it doesnt have to involve awkward activities such as a trust fall. Engaging, relevant team-building activities for students can energize your classroom and take learning to a new level. But rather than merely writing down or vaguely discussing your values, craft them into a word cloud. Ensure that you have prepared all the necessary gear, including food, water, shoes with good traction, and trekking poles. We will provide van transportation for students from the IC Campus Center at 8:45am and return to campus at 5:30pm. Team sport is an excellent option for group retreats as participants can destress and have fun while keeping fit. from start to finish, including setting up a timeline, reaching out to co-sponsors, negotiating a contract, are available to them on campus is only the beginning. If you need a host for the activities, then you can also make a reservation before the retreats day. Helping them to warm up to the idea by breaking the ice can help build confidence. Then enjoy planned or spontaneously-decided activities and games with your group around the fire. The lunch can also be as simple as snacks accompanied by refreshing drinks. SQ[ws*W This retreat can include times of contemplative prayer and studying Biblical examples of being heard by God. They can be especially helpful for remembering values, which you may already plan to discuss in your retreat. You can make this more challenging by offering clues or riddles rather than the names of items. Also, add refreshments, including cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages for attendees who do not take alcohol. Dr. Corey Seemillers, Competency Guide for College Student Leaders. Its a lot of work to put together a transformative retreat experience, but its all worth it in the end when the student leaders achieve their organizations goals and thrive within the campus community. However, I think that some of the activities can be adapted for blind people. The housing, meeting spaces, recreation . She's a proud graduate of Emory University, where she majored in Creative Writing, and of Nova Southeastern University, where she earned her master's degree in College Student Affairs. For menu inspiration, check out this list of conference food ideas. The importance of crafting an intentional opening for the retreat cannot be overstated. (Preserve), What is it we dont have and dont want? But what about word clouds? Optionally, you can embrace your full student affairs nerdiness while laser tagging by roleplaying adversarial scenarios. People dont buy what you do; they buy why you do it., When we work from a place that says, Im enough, then we stop screaming and start listening. Try this free knock-off. This activity allows students to see where their peers stand on a variety of different topics and issues. After a few minutes, combine rooms to form groups of four. But no peeking! Cant pick just one or two? Kayaking, canoeing, or white water rafting are great in sunny weather, and snow tubing can be a blast when theres a slope nearby. During the period when you are planning for a retreat, find a place that intrigues the group. Although the mention of icebreakers may make some participants groan, there is actually a bit of science behind why these activities are so effective. Team sports are great retreat games for large groups. Sports Trivia for College Campus. Statements can be tailored to your discipline such as what if everyone lived to 150 for a developmental class or what if there was no such thing as evolution for a biology class. Many team-building activities incorporate such skills as active listening, questioning assumptions, giving clear directions, problem-solving or learning how to ask effective questions.. One of my goals is to have my students experience similar dynamics and processes as they would face-to-face. Many retreat centers offer educational activities. RESERVE Explore. Teams are given the task of carrying a marble or ball from a start line to a finish line, without it ever touching the flooror students hands. Simply spring it on them, just before presentation time, so that theyre challenged to get creative in utilizing whats around them. Tell the entire group that youll be reading a series of statements. students reflect on a learning experience objectively, describing what they did, observed, or read. 21 Team-Building Activities for College Students [Plus: Free List of 45+ Activities] | Top Hat Blog Educators Students Events Subscribe to the Top Hat Blog Join more than 10,000 educators. Head to your local karaoke spot or rent out a machine to get to know everyones taste in music, bond over nostalgic tunes, and show off your talents (or enthusiastic lack thereof). Pretend one team is your staff and the other is a round of budget cuts that you have to creatively survive. Its easy to forget to build breaks into the schedule. One person in the group could model the finished product when their time is up. Tell older children to divide a sheet of paper into three columns. About the author: Justin Terlisner (he/him) is a student affairs professional who focuses on helping students thrive through dynamic leadership education and inclusive supervision practices. For projects that make the final cut, the students could create a RACI Matrix to identify everyones roles and establish accountability. Or you can simply ask them to leave computers and devices at home. Allow five minutes of planning time, so teams can strategize how they will transport the object as a group; if it falls to the floor, they must start over. Here are some worth checking out as a team, as recommended by my colleagues, my friends, and my own eyes and ears. (Ill cover how to design a good energizer and why later on in this post.). Yes, Segways look silly. Its the 2019 version of a book report! It probably wont boost your institutions retention rate nor emphasize deep-seated values, but having fun can be noble goal in and of itself. You could even pair this with the soundtrack of our lives activity by having each person reveal which song was their pick by performing it! (Or better yet, ask an artsy coworker or student to design it.). 2 Getting-to-Know-You Icebreaker Games for College Students 2.1 Alphabet Freeze 2.2 Who Are You? But, do you enjoy running activities with your staff? to identify which ideas the group wants to pursue the most. Chris Merlo: Open-ended questions don't take any planning. 2.3 Sentence Completion 3 College Icebreaker Games with a Purpose 4 Getting Comfortable in a New Group 4.1 My Most Embarrassing Moment 4.2 Back to Back 5 Team Formation 5.1 Comic Chaos 5.2 Paper Bag Skits 5.3 Know Your Roommate can be broken down by their benefits into three types: Communication and collaboration improvers, These activities can fit almost anywhere into your retreat schedule! (Just dont tell Gallup I told you about it.). Pose a question to the whole group and have pairs discuss their responses with each other. Here are some icebreakers that you could use: A retreat is a great time to review the student organizations mission, vision, and values. Not only does this test their problem-solving skills, but it also helps them differentiate between the needs of the individual and the needs of the collective. You can play several games all at once or pace the tournament out for refreshing breaks throughout the retreat. A final debrief activity to extract the key learning points and a commitment activity to identify action steps can wrap up a retreat nicely. 2 0 obj If you conduct an especially tasty dish, you can pass on the goodness to the rest ofcampus by sharing the recipe on social media, making it again for a division-wide meeting, or hosting a cooking class with students. But a group retreat can be the perfect excuse to try out this fad. Some common activities are dances, community service events or movies. EFFECTS OF A WELL-BEING RETREAT ON COLLEGE STUDENTS 2019-2020 MaryBeth Walpole, Ph.D. . 3. There is truly something for every age group here at Cho-Yeh. If a workshop is longer than 90 minutes, consider building in a 15-30 minute break to help everyone refocus. Or hold a sumo wrestling night, using pillows and cushions to create the suits and fighting area. By accomplishing group tasks, students learn to listen, trust and support each other, while developing life skills such as communication and collaborationskills that cant be learned from a textbook, interactive or not. Our next retreat will be in October 2023 - dates to be confirmed. But, Ive found that most people arent sure of when or how to express genuine compliments that venture beyond surface-level remarks like, nice shirt!, great hat!, or I loved your program idea!. These retreats are designed for students of all faiths and spiritualities. 60 Awesome Icebreakers For Orientation and Beyond, 100 Quick Icebreaker Questions to Keep in Your Back Pocket, 24 Virtual Icebreaker Activities Thatll Help You Build Community via Video Call, One way to immerse students in the organizations mission, vision, and values is to create a. . Advisors: Learn one-on-one mentoring techniques to help students understand and how to use their strengths. Trivia can remind your team of vital facts while keeping things light and fun. For inspiration, here is a collection of icebreaker jokes. Taking a group class can get your team to bond during a retreat. Just as you deliberately welcome new guests into your home to make them feel comfortable, the club advisor or lead facilitator should take a moment to express how excited they are that everyone is gathered together whether virtually or in person. Play an Icebreaker Game. We have 30+ experiences to choose from, and thousands of five star reviews. However, if your group is on a tight budget, then you can camp on a public or dispersed campground. Wed love to know! A player who exceeds the time limit leaves the game. , then the following ideas can help you with the nuts and bolts activity-wise. Other leaders blindfold all the youth and tell them that one at a time they are going to be lifted on the board, which will be about 3 feet off the ground, and see if they can walk across the board from one side to the other. One-word story is an interesting game for groups in a retreat. Then other players will take turns saying a word. The paper is passed around until each team member has added to the original solution. Be sure to bring speakers so you can blast out the best clips, and print out transcripts for anyone with hearing impairments. topics should be integrated into all aspects of the retreat, Start right at the beginning of the retreat by inviting students to share their, If you are having a hard time deciding what topics to cover in a dedicated DEI workshop, NACAs. Divide the class into teams and present them with a problem related to your course material. Fortunately, finding ideas for workshops to include in a retreat can be pretty easy thanks to the plethora of sample agendas available online. Bingo makes an excellent choice of retreat games for large groups. , plus you can sprinkle in shorter activities such as problem-solving games between other workshops. % Students certainly learn a lot of career-readiness skills on the job while leading their organizations, but hosting skill-building workshops during the retreat ensures that they have a foundation to build off of. 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