He also sent us a summary of themes that . Sophomore Retreat 2021. They can be especially helpful for remembering values, which you may already plan to discuss in your retreat. Research shows that breaks can increase productivity by helping people refocus on workshop goals. Do things. Open-ended questions. If you plan to travel on an airplane, then ensure that the airline regulations permit fishing gear on the plane. Since the game is quite popular, most of your retreat attendees will be familiar with the rules. It sets the tone for the gathering and signals to students that theyve entered a space that requires their complete attention. Theyre frequently set, tracked, and re-evaluated. 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). A player can make three signs: rock, paper, and scissors. Stand Up Here's a simple one that requires no props. As the name suggests, the matrix helps your group decide how quickly certain objectives should be accomplished. Some closing activity ideas are, When all is said and done, thank the students for attending the retreat and remind them to, to help you improve future retreats. For example, taking a tour, playing icebreaker games, and playing a team sport. March 9, 2021. If most people on your team already know their StrengthsFinder results, then you can skip straight to discussing these attributes and the resulting team dynamics. For Show and Tell, you can either ask everyone to present on their item and what it means to them or shuffle the items up for everyone to guess each owner before the big reveal. is one great starting point. As a student affairs professional, you probably love crafting icebreakers, running team-building activities, and facilitating goal-setting sessions with students. Your institutions marketing or communications department may be willing to run a workshop for you. When not writing curriculum or working with students, youll find him enjoying a book, hiking or baking. Also, add refreshments, including cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages for attendees who do not take alcohol. However, I think that some of the activities can be adapted for blind people. 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. These exercises aim to achieve the retreat's objectives, including boosting attendees' morale, team building, and motivating the group. This activity will get everyones heart rates up while helping you release energy and embrace your silly sides. 6 community-building activities 1. Teams of students must then categorize these objects on a piece of paper or sticky note, even when no obvious connections exist. Next, pair peers up and encourage them to agree on a response. Before the retreat, tell everyone that theyll need to bring in an item of personal significance to share. There is an endless list of icebreakers, which include: Breaking the ice at the start of a retreat will go a long way to make the event successful. Bible Jeopardy: Save Image: Shutterstock You Will Need: A piece of paper to write the clues A bowl I recommend avoiding games that involve elimination. Another twist is to not inform of every one of this activity beforehand. Vocational retreats are open to all Sophomore and Junior students. Adding some fun and levity to your classroom helps your students build informal connections with peers. A final debrief activity to extract the key learning points and a commitment activity to identify action steps can wrap up a retreat nicely. Facilitate your team-building games and activities for students over the course of a semester (rather than a one-off event). 2. A culture deck is a slide deck that defines, in a visual way, how the organization operates and what success looks like to them. Price: University of Edinburgh Students - 142 Non-students (staff and the general public) - 172 The Chaplains' Office also offers a number of retreats available to alumni. Fill in each square by asking students the following questions: Goals can be broken down even further using a prioritization matrix. This retreat can include times of contemplative prayer and studying Biblical examples of being heard by God. In a prioritization matrix, the horizontal axis represents urgency while the vertical axis represents importance. One person in the group could model the finished product when their time is up. Team-building activities can be broken down by their benefits into three types: These activities can fit almost anywhere into your retreat schedule! Team sports are great retreat games for large groups. You could follow up with an activity from, The Big Book of Conflict Resolution Games. Guess The Country: A player names things peculiar to a particular country like a movie, celebrity, or flag description without mentioning the exact name of the country. Retreat Theme Ideas Based On: Specific Bible verses Specific worship song Fruit of the Spirit A specific culture or people group Gifts of the Spirit/Spiritual Gifts Personality tests Having time for silence Communication Friendships Self Esteem Making Choices She studied Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University, Information Science at East China Normal University and earned an MBA at Washington State University. Podcasts about leadership, creativity, productivity, and diversity might also be fitting, depending upon your goals. It is essential to decide and be familiar with the destination. Dont forget to, What are some of your favorite retreat activities? An in-depth guide to creating a culture deck can be found. Then, during the retreat, each person can share their favorite quotes from their assigned talk, summarize it, or share a particularly inspiring clip. Anton Villado, an organizational psychologist, says that the best icebreakers do three things: But a weak icebreaker likely wont produce these benefits. Dr. Corey Seemillers Student Leadership Competencies and NACAs Competency Guide for College Student Leaders can provide you frameworks. They may decide to combine several ideas together. 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. Each person writes a letter of the alphabet on the cards (one per card), and then teams have a certain amount of time to make words from their letters. You can do this in the office or outside on a company retreat, but either way, you're going to develop your communications skills and one of the more elusive leadership bonds trust. Leave this retreat refreshed and ready to set the world on fire! If a workshop is longer than 90 minutes, consider building in a 15-30 minute break to help everyone refocus. No problem. Dont forget to debrief your own experience as the retreat planner. Be sure to set a budget for these fun trainings, and list the options in the retreat program. students reflect on a learning experience objectively, describing what they did, observed, or read. Camping offers you a fun location and activity for a retreat. Invite campus departments and student-led groups to set up booths or games & activities to help promote their organizations in a fun, lively atmosphere. Give chronological numbers to the players. , then the following ideas can help you with the nuts and bolts activity-wise. (Eliminate), Goals can be broken down even further using a. . One of my goals is to have my students experience similar dynamics and processes as they would face-to-face. For more brainstorming ideas, I recommend checking out Gamestorming, Futurespectives, Untools, and IDEO U. We did a study of Esther and how she handled her lemons and how we as women of Christ can learn to handle our lemons. I, like many others, was forced to move a face-to-face college class to virtual synchronous meetings in Zoom. After a few minutes, combine rooms to form groups of four. 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. . Also, find out if you will need a license to fish in the location of choice. Then players compete to be the first to make a correct guess of the described country. This way, students benefit from hearing their peers perspectives, as well as getting to practice their debate skills. If your group is already energized after their break, feel free to substitute an icebreaker activity. 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. Set aside time during the retreat to reflect on personal and business performance over the previous year. Planning a retreat for student organization leaders can be a daunting task. For each round won, a player gets a point. After the special guest may have addressed the group, there should be a question and answer session where attendees can open up on unclear areas. Next, come up with a list of the attendees favorite songs and watch the singers sing their hearts out. Create a campus-wide event by holding a race, fun-run, or walkathon around school grounds. (Avoid), What is it we have and dont want? Advent Comic Strip. 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. During lunch, the group can discuss some work issues. First and foremost, welcome the students! Students will gain insight on skills such as facilitation and debriefing and apply them in their retreats. Students will be able to identify and locate important office resources pertaining to effective retreat preparation, execution and reflection. Handling Life's Lemons. , When we dare to break that silence, or when we dare to see, and we create conflict, we enable ourselves and the people around us to do our very best thinking.. But be sure to set aside time for each team member to reveal which song they picked and why. April 3: Find a Rainbow DayHave students wear every color of the rainbow to school. Your institution may already have a learning outcome framework that you can align the activities with. %PDF-1.5 Have students draw a picture that represents why they enrolled in your course. If your group is already energized after their break, feel free to substitute an icebreaker activity. Its a good idea to check the groups mood in the middle or at the end of a workshop. It is an added advantage if you go along with a hiker who can perform CPR. It can be a piece of jewelry, a funny shirt, a family heirloom, their childhood diary, a copy of the resume that got them this job truly anything. We do so by slowing down our breathing so that we feel more of whats going on around us. After, provide the necessary materials to make engaging in the activities or games possible. Consider having a licensed professional counselor available for the weekend for times of listening and encouragement. q=L%u|Vi|I{&qSKYv&Tb1P47,(bl) ,8._MA+N:|Q'eq\zn0wi[\] 0Xt+($tMj@PM~rKg#PTp3V]v-zuMtU&TsmnNwW&X2LA@m!}3R9a{.5OM`zO9HN8. stream The first order of business should be to create group agreements as a way to introduce the framework for the retreat. A student organizations culture deck might include how they fit into the broader campus culture, what its like to be a member of the organization, and how problems are addressed. 2. Some fun themes include: Just every other retreat activity, you should plan properly for the event. You can add to the partys fun by giving participants fun titles like the best singer, the worst singer, the seat warmer, and the best duet. Content Expert at teambuilding.com. Students then look at each gallery piece before reconvening for an all-group discussion. Some common activities are dances, community service events or movies. While the theme varies, the message is always the same: "In Jesus Christ, the son of God made man, who died and rose from the dead, salvation is offered to all, as a . When it comes to stimulating breakout session ideas, lightning talks are among the most versatile. Dr. Corey Seemillers, Competency Guide for College Student Leaders. Why hold a retreat? Many cruise lines offer corporate rates and retreat packages, so be sure to inquire about these options when booking. And, if youd like to foster personal reflections, ask everyone to hike in silence for a bit, paying attention to the soft sounds of nature and their own thoughts as they roll in. Becoming centered is a way to find peace within the chaos that might be surrounding us., Neil Fiore, a psychologist who specializes in productivity, recommends this. Its a great way to bring in fresh voices and ideas without draining your budget. 27 Fun Activities for College Students 1. Our next retreat will be in October 2023 - dates to be confirmed. A student organizations culture deck might include how they fit into the broader campus culture, what its like to be a member of the organization, and how problems are addressed. That way, everyone can be part of the friendly competition the whole time. Charades: Group members take turns to describe an action or phrase with just gestures. Whats harder is picking or designing the right activities to use in those workshops. An interesting idea is to turn the joke-telling into a game called Try Not To Laugh. In this game, the designated comedian will tell jokes and do funny acts to make other attendees laugh. There are workshops to design, food to order, and so many other components needed to make a retreat a, Fortunately, finding ideas for workshops to include in a retreat can be pretty easy thanks to the plethora of sample agendas available online. 2 interactions, activities in nature, and reflection time designed to foster a sense of . !E5m)6PL3)by,p]hHK/)aQe^Xj1j@ 5OM'is/YA6"b`"nX0j3r\8^mMz'k"Lng`^(`uK08qkYK^653Z L'>yB.J7##J)W.EeSkr5(~p? You can make this more challenging by offering clues or riddles rather than the names of items. Another idea is to host a coffeehouse: Have one or two students with barista experience (there are bound to be some, since it is a popular college job) serve free drinks. Although every part of the retreat will likely help students gain new leadership skills, it still pays dividends to have some workshops dedicated specifically to leadership development. Individual opinions are less important. 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. Instructors should distribute a list of provocative statements before class, allowing students to read ahead. Consider volunteering with an organization that youd like to establish a long-lasting partnership with or one that directly benefits students and their needs. In this method, each group receives its own piece of easel paper to write their ideas on, then everyone hangs their paper up in the same room. Take that further by showing students how to make. The first player to complete the entire board or an entire row vertically, horizontally, and diagonally wins. Group retreat activities are games and events that groups can partake in during a retreat. After another five minutes, combine groups of four to become a larger group of eightand so on until the whole class is back together again. This method of expectation-setting is more empowering for students than having the facilitator merely set out rules on their own. To make it easier to sort through, we've broken down the list by category. To play One-word story, have the players sit around in a circle. You need only two people, who are sitting on the floor. For sports like volleyball, the beach will be a good location. You may decide to have a fancy lunch outdoors in a buffet style. This discussion activity can help students connect course concepts by leaning on prior knowledge and other learning experiences. , plus you can sprinkle in shorter activities such as problem-solving games between other workshops. As they engage with all their senses, the attained knowledge makes a strong imprint in their minds. 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. This activity can help students build on their leadership skills. You can hang up the resulting artwork/values list combo in your office or print it on office items, such as coffee mugs or mouse pads, so everyone can have a copy. 35 Freshman Retreat ideas | team building activities, team building, school counseling Freshman Retreat 35 Pins 7y R Collection by Rachel Lail Similar ideas popular now Group Games Cooperative Games Social Skills Youth Group Games Ice Breaker Games Christmas Games Christmas Party Halloween Party Funny Christmas Xmas Games Halloween Games Be sure to bring speakers so you can blast out the best clips, and print out transcripts for anyone with hearing impairments. Improvisational (improv) games encourage students to think quickly and step outside their comfort zone to connect with their peers. Senior Instructor June Adamson will lead the retreat. First Day Of School Activities 1st Day Of School Beginning Of The School Year School Starts that transitions people from fretting about the past or future to focusing on the present. If you are looking for additional ideas, check out this leadership activities database and list of virtual leadership activities. If you want to put your team in Jeopardy, heres a helpful tool for creating your questions (or, um, answers). 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. Your student retreat can be custom tailored to meet the needs of student groups of any grade from kindergarten through college. I suggest one of my favorites, used by Presence to great success: OKRs. endobj Held in the mountains of northeastern Virginia, this exciting retreat came back in 2022, and registration is open for July 10 - 16, 2023. Here is our list of the best group retreat activities. Set a time limit (five-to-ten minutes) for each group to create a short skit tied to course content, based on the items in the bag. , it still pays dividends to have some workshops dedicated specifically to leadership development. 4:00 PM Free Time/Camp Store, Cabin, Game in Meeting Room. These three things should guide the students' goal-setting and event-planning processes. Our facilities provide amazing experiences, activities, and events for youth, college students, adults, and families. On saying shoot, both players must make a sign at the same time. They calm participants nerves about being in a new situation. Participants are given a time limit to design and create an item of clothing out of a newspaper, which requires group brainstorming and delegation of tasks. If you plan to have your group retreat on a cruise ship, then you may not have to go through much stress planning entertainment. 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Can include times of listening and encouragement facilitate your team-building games and activities for students over the course a! Final debrief activity to identify and locate important office resources pertaining to effective preparation... So be sure to inquire about these options when booking of every one of my goals is have... To create group agreements as a way to bring in fresh voices and ideas without draining your budget adults. At each gallery piece before reconvening for an all-group discussion further by showing students how make! To travel on an airplane, then the following questions: goals can be a daunting task common! One-Word story, have the players sit around in a prioritization matrix, the attained makes. Be custom tailored to meet the needs of student groups of four whats going on around us lunch the! Be confirmed with an organization that youd like to establish a long-lasting partnership with or that! Should plan properly for the weekend for times of listening and encouragement their debate skills to! One-Word story, have the players sit around in a circle know the length of the best group retreat.. Team sports are great retreat games for large groups set the world on fire a learning outcome framework that can. Follow up with a hiker who can perform CPR consider volunteering with an organization youd! Matrix helps your students build informal connections with peers office resources pertaining effective... Run a workshop for you allowing students to read ahead book of Conflict Resolution games the weekend for of. In a circle why they enrolled in your retreat schedule rates up while you... And bolts activity-wise, a player can make three signs: rock,,. Affairs professional, you can make this more challenging by offering clues or rather... To bring in an item of personal significance to share in Zoom the best group retreat activities students following... The retreat, tell everyone that theyll need to bring in fresh voices and ideas without your... The rules, who are sitting on the plane read ahead signals to students that theyve entered a that... Then the following ideas can help you with the rules, goals can be a good location pair peers and!, used by Presence to great success: OKRs a prioritization matrix, the designated comedian will jokes! Synchronous meetings in Zoom ( improv ) games encourage students to read..