DEEP Service Magazine Spring/Summer 2014 | Seite 5

ACENEWS

The ACE Winter Retreat Allowed Community
Engagement Volunteers to Reflect on Their Service and
Brainstorm Ways to Reach the Next Level
By Lauren Grenier ’16, Community Corps
The ACE community came together for the 4th Annual
ACE Winter Retreat on February 6th and 7th. ACE
administrators and VISTA Leaders planned the event with
the theme “Hear Me Roar”, which gave the retreat an
energetic feel that got participants excited about reflecting
on the past and gearing up for
the future. The retreat began on
Friday evening, when members
from all ACE programs,
including AmeriCorps*VISTA
Fellows, Bonner Service
Leaders, Community Corps,
Connect4Change, and NEXT
Consulting Services, gathered
for the opening activities in
Sarazen Student Union.
Participants were asked to
reflect on where they saw
themselves in their service
journey and then brainstorm
how to reach the next level.
This engaging activity was a great bonding experience for
everyone. After the opening activities, we went bowling at
Olympic Lanes in Menands. This was a great opportunity to
continue bonding with fellow ACE participants.

The retreat continued early the next morning with the
participants and administrators meeting for breakfast. This
got us energized for a day packed with exciting events and
activities.
After breakfast, each program met
individually for a reflective activity,
where participants opened up about
their struggles and support was offered.
Then, in the afternoon, we did an
exciting and chilly social activity, snow
tubing at Tubby Tubes! Here, all
members of ACE joined together to
spend time on the slopes.
After traveling back to Siena College,
the retreat came to a close with a
family style dinner where everyone
reflected on the past two days. Overall,
the ACE Winter Retreat was a wellplanned weekend where participants
got to build relationships with one another and reflect on
their service through both social events and learning
activities. We cannot wait to attend the 5th Annual Winter
Retreat!

DEEP Service Magazine | Page 5