Student retreats are an essential aspect of young people’s education and personal development. They allow young people to learn new skills to set them up for their futures and equip them with vital knowledge to grow their skill sets, as well as themselves as a person.
A retreat for students takes many forms and is a space for youth participants to share and challenge ideas through discussion and activities, requiring time, effort and practice to grow their skills and effectively communicate. Student retreats provide a focused and dedicated space for honing their skills and learning from one another, no matter what topic the retreat is based on. Retreats ensure there are no outside distractions, allowing young people to be motivated throughout the process to get the most out of it while progressing their skills and knowledge in a supportive and unpressured environment.
Many retreats occur in quieter surroundings to give a successful retreat, free from noise and other distractions. They provide a range of facilities needed for the retreat sessions and students’ free time. This lets young people unwind and feel welcomed so that nerves fade away and they can concentrate on the tasks and discussions.
The purpose of a retreat for students
The purpose of a retreat for students is to aid them in their education and give them an opportunity to develop as a person.
A retreat for students is essentially a place where young people can learn, grow and collaborate away from their daily routine. These retreats are set within an engaging and motivating environment, away from distractions and noise, to allow young people to actively participate and get the most out of their time away. They can be done in many ways and include various tasks and activities so that no one gets bored or switches off. Student retreats aim to strengthen their knowledge and skills to grow professionally in their education, equipping them for their futures. However, they also focus on developing their social, emotional and teamwork skills through fun activities and discussions that promote face-to-face conversation and build trust and mutual respect among the group.
Retreats for students give attendees time and space to dedicate to their education and work in the optimal environment. A huge focus in this process is group discussion and professional and personal development.
The importance of a retreat for students
Student retreats are very important for their growth in every aspect of their lives, exploring topics through fun and engaging activities and thorough discussion to motivate young people and let them learn new skills. The importance of a retreat for students lies in the benefits it provides them with, which are:
- Learn about leadership and teamwork: Many retreats provide the opportunity to work with others and hone their leadership skills through teamwork activities. Each student has the chance to lead their group to success and helps prepare them for their future careers.
- Enhancing social skills and making friends: A retreat environment gives a rare chance for young people to work on their social skills through understanding different perspectives and learning how to get along with others. Plus, with fun activities, teamwork and plenty of free time, they can easily make true friends.
- Explore interests and have new experiences: A retreat for students lets the youth explore interests, make new ones and have new experiences.
- Practice communication: As discussion is usually the prime factor in a student retreat, they allow students to practice their communication skills. They can learn how to connect to new people, resolve conflicts and effectively share their ideas.
- Develop decision-making skills: When attending a retreat, young people have to make clear, important decisions they usually haven’t made before. This develops their decision-making skills and enhances their independence.
- Boosts confidence: With no pressure in student retreats, students can relax and learn new skills, which boosts their confidence. They can believe in themselves more and feel more inclined to try new things, developing higher self-esteem and understanding how to push themselves toward success.
- Relaxation and rest: Retreats also provide young people with plenty of free time where they can relax and rest while building relationships with others. It gives them a break from their daily routine and allows them to reflect, set personal goals, lower stress levels and feel calm and comfortable.
Types of retreats
There are a wide range of student retreats that can offer young people a variety of new skills and develop them in different areas, allowing them to grow professionally and personally. Although a student leadership retreat is the most popular type that many young people partake in, there are also other just as vital retreats to try. In some cases, such as at Cumberland Lodge, these types of retreats can be intertwined. For example, we focus on student leadership through the topic of ethics and politics and encourage students to have a digital detox to be free from distractions and promote face-to-face conversation.
- Student leadership retreat
- Academic writing retreat
- Creative writing retreat
- Reading retreat
- Wellness retreat
Leadership retreat activities for college students
Typically, a retreat for students will encompass a variety of leadership retreat activities for students. A focus in these retreats is discussion, but fun games for team building and leadership development activities are also used to keep young people engaged and motivated by switching the way they learn. Discover examples of activities that usually occur in student retreats to help you understand the importance of a retreat for students.
Discussion activities
Discussion is a common way to give students vital information and skills while developing their leadership. Debating and discussing as a group gives them the confidence to share their ideas and manage conflict due to contradicting thoughts and opinions. These discussion activities can be based on:
- Brainstorming: This can occur in small groups and can generate ideas for presenting their ideas back to the group. They can use tools such as whiteboards, writing utensils and index cards.
- Ethics and politics: Discussions exploring ethics to encourage young people to reflect critically on the moral, cultural and intergenerational dimensions of contemporary social challenges. Can be conversations, writing ideas in small groups or presenting ideas.
- Conversations: Giving face-to-face conversations across the group. Can be when discussing a topic or can be facilitated by giving a sheet of paper to individuals with instructions to follow where they have to have a conversation with others to find out the answers or instructions. For example, who has the most unusual hobby?
- Conflict responses: After discussions, young people reflect on any conflicts that have arose and collectively create a set of guidelines to help students resolve conflict more efficiently.
Leadership workshops for students
Leadership workshops for students are used to solidify their leadership knowledge and build their leadership skills. These workshops can take many forms from discussion to fun improv situations.
- Writing workshop: Students can explore leadership through writing workshops where they can take initiative and write about ethics, leadership itself or a creative subject where they take the lead with their thoughts. They can then share this with the rest of the group or lead small groups in creating a writing masterpiece together.
- Improv leadership situations: Students can star in a role to improv leadership situations based on prompts. This can be done as a whole or in smaller groups, acting out scenarios where leadership is needed.
Icebreakers
Icebreakers are usually used in a retreat for students at the beginning of the process to help young people ease into the retreat and feel comfortable among strangers. Types of popular icebreakers used can be:
- Interview: This is where the group is divided into pairs, and they can take a few minutes to interview each other. They need to find out 3 facts and then share them with the group.
- Desert island: This is where small groups need to decide what three items they will take to a desert island. A list of items can be made to prompt the groups and discuss which is best to take.
- Would you rather: Students can get to know each other through questions of would you rather. For example, would you rather see the future or change the past? These questions go around the group and everyone answers them, making each person think of one question and answer every one.
Team building activities
Team building activities are another vital aspect of a student leadership retreat as to build leadership, they need to work in teams.
- Trivia: Students can be quizzed on their leadership knowledge before the retreat and after to see their progress.
- Follow the leader: A game of mirroring the actions of one person can be a fun way to allow each individual to be a leader and manage a group of people.
- Team of two: Students can do games and activities in teams of two to strengthen their communication skills and learn how to properly engage with strangers.
- Sports: Playing sports develops leadership and gets them outdoors. Sports are a fun way to engage young people in leading a team to victory, breaking away from other methods.
Student leadership retreats at Cumberland Lodge
Cumberland Lodge welcomes thousands of young people from higher institutions across the UK every year. We strive to make our retreats intellectually and professionally stimulating, allowing attendees to interact with each other in ways that are not always possible within other environments. We are intentionally ‘low-tech’ to encourage students to get away from their screens and mobile devices. This allows them the space to reflect, unwind and interact fully with others in the group.
Our venue is the ideal place for students to learn, grow and relax, putting comfort at the heart of what we do to make them feel at ease and enjoy the experience. We are nestled in the woodlands of Windsor Great Park in a 17th-century lodge that has been our home since 1947. Our building is elegant, comfortable and spacious and is packed full of history and charm. Surrounding is serene and picturesque greenery, giving students a quiet, inspiring and gorgeous backdrop to their retreat. Even though we are remote, we are highly accessible by all transportation, road, air and rail, for everyone across the UK and the world.
We focus on exploring ethics in our student retreat sessions and dialogue and debate are at the heart of what we do. We argue and disagree, but we aim to disagree well. Attendees can learn how value systems impact communication styles and content, develop the ability to recognise their own and others’ communication styles and preferences, and identify and practice strategies to challenge differences of opinion. We explore ethics and AI, everyday ethics, navigating difference, the ethics of free speech and the future of democracy.
Find out more about our student leadership retreats and contact us to book a retreat for young people to learn, grow and develop new skills for a successful future.