Emory Advance: Spring Break
Discover what it means to live purposefully.
Sunday, March 9th -
Thursday, March 13th, 2025
Location Coming Soon!
Unlock your true potential through a transformative 5-day retreat where curiosity, self-discovery, and meaningful connections take center stage. Dive into structured sessions that will challenge your assumptions, ignite your passion for growth, and help you develop the skills to live purposefully. From unpacking the external forces shaping your identity to crafting your own personal narrative, this experience will leave you empowered to challenge your Perception Box and rewrite your own story. You'll engage in thought-provoking exercises, connect deeply with your peers, and reflect on your life journey—all while enjoying unstructured moments for bonding and reflection. Leave with clarity, a sense of purpose, and a framework for flourishing, ready to make your mark.
The 2025 Spring Break Emory Advance retreat is being offered to first-year and second-year students. We will be offering a trip for upperclassmen in Fall 2025.
Why should you attend?
Step away
Experience a rare opportunity to step away from the routine and explore who you truly are or want to be.
Create a Roadmap
You'll leave with a personalized Student Flourishing Tool and a roadmap to continue growing and thriving long after the retreat.
Invest in Yourself
This is your chance to invest in yourself, expand your perspective, and set the foundation for a more intentional and meaningful life.
Schedule
Sunday
Explore themes of identity and social posturing.
Through the exercises, participants will reflect on what comprises their Perception Boxes and contributes to their self-identity. Students will end the day beginning to gain a deeper understanding of who they are in a way that reflects their true passions and values, fostering more personal insight and genuine connections with others.
Monday
Explore themes of isolation, emotional self-protection, and the consequences of shutting oneself off from the world to avoid pain.
The theme of the day captures the goal of taking stock of who we are at the current moment and what we think we may want for our futures. This will also be a day for connection.
Tuesday
Explore how to live a life of joy, freedom, and living life to the fullest.
The theme of the day captures the goal of taking stock of what we believe we can accomplish and how, as well as ways we can tap into what is truly us rather than what we seek to project.
Wednesday
Explore your narrative.
On day 4, students will speak and write about their foundations, the key life events and their forward view. By reflecting on our life stories, we’ll gain insights into our current Perception Box limitations, identify patterns, and then rewrite those narratives with an eye toward agency and reframing possibilities.
We will also participate in a unique “Dinner in the Dark” experience.
Thursday
Explore your potential futures and what you bring to them.
On day 5 we’ll look ahead towards how we will use our gifts, in keeping with our values, to make a positive impact – and who will be there to support us in our journeys. We’ll pack our bags for the adventures that come after this retreat so that we can “Advance,” acknowledging the impressive intellectual tools, emotional strengths and supportive relationships that got you here, and what you may need to succeed on the next part of your journey.
We’ll end with a small-wins celebration of the work done on this trip. You'll leave with a completed Student Flourishing ToolTM, which they can continue to update and use to reflect on who they are and what they want to do.
Frequently Asked Questions
The 2025 Spring Break Emory Advance is free.