In preparation for the new semester, approximately 40 Student Government Association members will convene on campus this weekend for their annual leadership retreat to work on personal leadership skills, character-building, and give back to the community.
The retreat will kick off on Friday (Aug. 3) evening at the WVU Outdoor Education Center where members will spend the evening together team building with the Adventure WV team on the Alpine Tower and Giant Swing Aerial Adventure.
On Saturday, in coordination with the WVU Center for Service and Learning, the group will travel to Arthurdale to help preserve the New Deal Homestead, a five-building museum that tells the story of the nation’s first New Deal homestead subsistence project championed by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt during the Great Depression. Following a museum tour, SGA members will work with the Arthurdale Heritage community to perform grounds maintenance, paint, and clean the historical structures.
The group will also have an opportunity to interact with Arthurdale homestead descendants; as well as descendants of Scott's Run, the multi-cultural mining community that prompted the establishment of the Arthurdale homesteads.
"SGA has a history of service to communities across our great state during their annual retreat,” said Daniel Brewster, SGA faculty advisor. “SGA vice president Abbi Yachini and I decided that this project would be an educational and wonderful site for a service project this year.”
On Sunday (Aug. 5), as in previous years, the group will spend the day in various leadership workshop sessions, as well as working in break-out sessions for both the executive and the legislative branches, respectively. This year, the group is excited to use the day to reconnect, build enthusiasm and commitment to their previously identified mission, and to examine and discuss goals moving forward.
The group will be joined for part of the day by President Gordon Gee, and Dean of Students Corey Farris, among other WVU faculty, staff, and administrators.
“The purpose of the retreat is to prepare our leaders for a successful year and emphasize the value of service in student decision-making and its uses as a learning tool,” said Yachini.
For more information on the Student Government Association, visit our website.