The YAC Retreat was AMAZING!

Last Friday and Saturday, twenty-five YACies gathered at Earthdance Retreat Center in Plainfield, MA for the YAC Retreat!

Earthdance was the perfect venue, although coming from the Valley we weren't quite prepared for it to still be winter up in the hills! It was cold and snowy, and we were all grateful for the warm Umbrella Studio where we spent most of our time.

On Friday evening everyone brought a dish to share and we had the most abundant, delicious potluck meal I've ever seen in my life. We then headed over to the studio, where Get Up Get Down lead the group in a brainstorm about social justice issues that move us personally and as an organization.

We used the discussion as inspiration to paint a collaborative mural!

While some were painting, other YACies shared their significant talents in poetry, music, photography and video. By the end of the evening, we were wondering why YAC doesn't specialize in performance with all the talent of our members!

It was late to bed, early to rise. Breakfast was at 8am, followed by an intensive visioning process led by Diana, Stacey and Zeke. We generated a TON of ideas about what YAC does well and where we should focus our attention in the future. A strategic planning committee will be formed to create a way forward! Come to the YAC board meeting on Monday, 4/4 if you're interested in participating.

Hannah led a workshop on making recycled notebooks, and Video Vanguards trained a group of YACies in ad-busting.

After lunch, Dee helped us examine our social identities by thinking about the stories around our names, and about all the various facets that make up our identity.

Sasha ran the last training, giving the group concrete skills to be better active bystanders. See the Six Step Guide in the photo below!

Overall the YAC retreat was an invaluable experience, both for YAC as an organization and for its individual members. New friendships were forged, talents were discovered, and a whole lot of plans were made!