This past weekend the Future Leaders in Action hosted it’s first fellow retreat in Park City, UT. Macie Bayer, fellow with the Boys and Girls Club of Provo, Joshua Young, fellow with the Boys and Girls Club of Magic Valley, Natalie Dyjak, fellow with the Boys and Girls Club of North Lake Tahoe, and Kayla McClanahan, fellow with Boys and Girls Clubs of Portland, and Julian Hanlon-Austin, Communications Intern attended.
Everyone arrived in time for pizza on Friday night. Most of Saturday, the fellows presented their summer projects to each other to share ideas and receive feedback. Macie, Joshua, and Natalie are all helping the Boys and Girls Clubs participate in the Kids Adventure Games. Macie is planning a garden for the Boys and Girls Club of Provo. Natalie is helping with STEM programming, while Joshua is helping with education and fitness summer camps. Kayla is focused on helping organize the ZooSnooze and a youth volunteerism project in Portland. Julian presented about his research for potential FLIA expansion. We all enjoyed the collaborative nature of the presentations and projects.
We had a wonderful presentation followed by a discussion with Damien Pitts, a Career Coach at the University of Utah. He shared his own experiences and tailored his professional advice to each fellow’s general interests.
Meet our fellows! Left to Right: Joshua Young, Natalie Dyjak, Julian Hanlon-Austin, Kayla McClanahan, and Macie Bayer
Throughout the weekend, we went on several hikes (which was especially exciting for Kirsten since she is usually in NYC without any mountains in sight). We enjoyed many delicious meals in the area and explored Main Street in Park City. One stop was at Java Cow Café and Bakery, which serves homemade ice cream, so we all had a delicious dessert.
The weekend was a great experience for fellows and staff to get know each other and provide better direction of where their fellowship is going. We’re so excited to see the way the summer fellowships continue to develop. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates of the projects throughout the summer.