Frequently Asked Questions
Who can attend The Next Step?
Any UVM student community (undergraduate or graduate) may apply to attend the retreat. In the past staff and faculty have participated, but overall participants provided feedback that they felt the retreat was more geared toward a student experience, so we changed the process. Overall, 65 students may attend (this number is generated based on the number of beds there are at the retreat site). We purposely look for participants who will represent a wide range of identities, personal experiences, and involvement across campus.
How do I apply to attend The Next Step?
The applications are all available on the Lynx. You can log into the Lynx using your UVM NetID and Password. then search for the "Leadership & Civic Engagement" organization. For more information on due dates, check out our timeline page.
How do you select the participants and who facilitates the retreat?
The Next Step Selection Committee (for facilitators and participants), are comprised of 8-10 retreat alumni, logistics staff, and members of the Next Step Advisory Committee. The committee reviews all of the applications and makes decisions based on a variety of criteria.
For participants, you MUST be an undergraduate or graduate student. Next, the most important factors include your personal social identities, experiences with social justice work, involvement on campus, potential to both contribute to and learn from the retreat, and commitment to attendance. We are also looking for a balanced group of attendees including class standing at the university, academic major, and past Next Step involvement. /The effort you put into your application does matter - please don't assume someone on the committee will explain how great you are - we get so many applications we can only consider what you include.
For facilitators, it is very important that we have a balanced group. We want students (undergraduate and graduate), staff, and faculty from a variety of areas on campus, with a variety of social identities, social justice experiences, and a variety of areas of facilitation expertise. The effort you put into your application matters! For a successful retreat, we do need facilitators who have some experience managing large groups, training on social justice material, and facilitating challenging conversations. Next Step provides training for facilitators, but the focus is on delivering the retreat curriculum, not necessary hard skills of how to facilitate.
How much does it cost to attend the retreat?
We ask participants to contribute $20 to attend the retreat. This helps us to cover the substantial costs of transportation, food, and lodging. However, no participant will be turned away for financial reasons. If you are unable to contribute these funds, please indicate so on your application.
Where is the retreat held?
The retreat is held at the Hulbert
Outdoor Center in Fairlee, VT, about 90 minutes away from
campus.