On October 6-7, 2017, Lehigh’s Global Citizenship Program (GCP) embarked on an overnight adventure to Little Pond Arts Retreat in Nazareth, PA. The retreat connected all of GCP’s three cohorts at a camp-like venue for the days, where participants engaged in a variety of activities.

Friday evening began with icebreaker activities before a delicious Peruvian meal, inspired by the newest cohort’s upcoming trip destination. GC students then made teams for GC-inspired trivia, where they competed for the few available beds within the camp (while others would sleep on the floor in sleeping bags).  Students also spent time getting to know one another around the campfire through a “duos” activity. The activity gives students15-minute blocks for intimate one-on-one conversations and was the most popular exercise of the weekend. While engaging in these in-depth conversations, the cohorts and CCE staff also enjoyed some time to roast marshmallows over the fire. Friday night ended with a large group discussion of GC-related topics.

Saturday brought a new day of hiking and mindfulness, with students assembling their own meals and focusing on making new connections within the group. Highlights including tackling a controversial card game called Jaded Aid, which addresses serious global concerns and stereotypes through humor, and completing a Privilege Walk to make students aware of types of privilege and how they relate to their own lives. The retreat was made successful by CCE director Dr. Sarah Stanlick, GC assistant director Whitney Szmodis, GC graduate assistant Frangy Pozo, and the Global Citizenship Student Council led by Ellie Ginis. Students left the retreat having made new connections and engaged with the ideas and values of global citizenship, with each student expressing excitement for the next retreat in Spring 2018.