(02/09/2024) Seventh graders at Roosevelt Middle School (RMS) engaged in a “Courage Retreat” in January with the goal of strengthening friendships and relationships to make their school community a better place.

“It was fun and I really enjoyed playing the games,” said one student. “I got to talk about real life situations and I learned I need to take more time to listen to others.”

The event was led by Youth Frontiers, an organization with the mission to inspire young people to live lives of character. The day-long “Courage Retreat” featured high-energy and interactive activities to engage students to participate together, while small group discussions prompted students to get to know each other better. Additionally, short presentations challenged students to commit one act of everyday courage.

“The speakers made it feel like everyone belonged,” said another seventh grader. “I learned how similar we all are.”

Students from Blaine High School and eighth-grade leaders in the building helped facilitate the activities and modeled the goals of the retreat - be respectful, take positive risks and be real. View photos from the RMS “Courage Retreat."

Anoka-Hennepin has a long-standing relationship with Youth Frontiers, coordinating a variety of staff and student retreats across the district. In the fall, Youth Frontiers visited seventh graders at Northdale Middle School.