Registration is open January 26, 2026— Click on the flyer or click HERE to register!
About the Retreat:
The 2025 Social Justice Retreat is open to all students interested in furthering their understanding of social justice, exploring one's identities, and engaging in equity work. This year, we unpack how to engage in effective activism and learn more about allyship.
Mission and Objectives:
The mission of the annual Social Justice Retreat is to develop equity-minded, socially-conscious, self-aware scholar change agents, and to facilitate experiences to help these scholar change agents in developing a support network across campus, skills to be an ally to many identity groups, and courage to be a leader for social justice in any space. This occurs through a variety of educational sessions around the concepts of social justice, dismantling oppressive systems, and community leadership, and through exploring one’s own story and the stories of others.
What is the Social Justice Retreat?
The Social Justice Retreat consists of taking approximately 40 students, along with student and staff facilitators, away from campus for 5 days and 4 nights of amazing activities and storytelling. After arriving mid-afternoon on day one, the group spends time developing trust and relationships in small groups with facilitators, as well as participating in large-group activities.
The following days are used to facilitate a journey for each student to explore their own identities, share their personal story in their small group, listen to the personal stories of others, and attend training sessions on privilege, understanding personal identities, and what all of this means in leadership. Fourteen successful retreats have taken place since January 2005.
How can I participate?
To find out information about upcoming retreats, please reach out to socialjustice@ucmerced.edu.
