National Retreat

Connect, Create and Celebrate!

The National Retreat is an annual gathering for members of our Girls Action network. It is an amazing opportunity for girls’ programmers to build capacity and skills, exchange resources, and share learnings. The retreat inspires and energizes participants; fostering new collaborations, analysis, and ideas.

About The National Retreat 2009

It was so amazing to see all of the familiar faces back together for this year’s National Retreat intermingling with all of the new ones. What we couldn’t have imagined, is the energy and the bank of knowledge accompanying the new and long-time network members as they joined us to cap off the week with exchanges, capacity and network building, and fun times of course!

 “There are no words to describe what you’ve given to me – a space to be open and share, to learn and listen, it’s fabulous!”

The series of workshops given by our network’s top facilitators, broached a myriad of subjects such as: fundraising, evaluation, applied theatre techniques, Trans 101, and even Paddling the “Pink Canoe”. As intended, they informed and inspired our participants to discover “new ideas on how to improve programming (e.g. ideas for art workshops, how to fundraise effectively online and new facilitation skills).” Beyond the workshops, our Open Café session gave participants the time and space to address and discuss the issues they deal with in their work. In small groups, they were able to share their expertise, best practices and good ideas with one another.

Girls Action launched of a slew of exciting new resources and projects for the participants and network members to sink their teeth in and use in their work. The Resource Fair also gave participants the opportunity to share their work and the resources they have produced with others. Though the National Retreat is conceived for participants to learn, share and make connections, it is also meant to be a time for them to celebrate the important work they do and have some fun.

Evening activities such as virtue cards, treks in the woods at night, and hip hop dancing created “an opportunity to stop thinking, talking, using words and trying to change the world, and instead, enjoy ourselves with others who do similar work.”