Students Gather Upstate for Social Change Retreat
The Office of Student Development and Activities (OSDA) hosted the second annual Leading for Social Change retreat, which took place September 14 through 16. Twenty-two students and five staff facilitators traveled to the YMCA Greenkill Retreat Center in Huguenot, New York for a weekend of workshops, activities, and teambuilding. Participants, who included student organization members, orientation leaders, one University Student Senate senator, and a few students simply hoping to become more involved on-campus, came together toward a common goal: to incite positive change at The New School and in the community.
To begin the retreat, participants explored social issues that they are passionate about, sharing moments of pride and pain in their own activism, as well as ideas for moving forward. This was followed by a series of workshops on the nuts and bolts of programming and outreach at The New School. Students also worked in groups to discuss individual challenges, create action plans, and identify skill sets to share with other campus groups.
But the weekend wasn’t just discussion—students pushed their physical boundaries at Greenkill’s ropes course. Whether it was on one of the low ropes or the 30-foot tall Giant’s Ladder, participants worked as a team to support their peers by spotting and belaying on the ground while brave individuals and small groups completed challenges above.
Now back on campus, the retreat group plans to reunite throughout the semester to share updates on their work, spreading their knowledge to the rest of the student body, expanding their influence and sharing their passion for social change. Visit the OSDA website  for more information and updates on future activities.