Reach for the Future

Reach for the Future 2020 will take place:

March 5th-7th (JR High)
March 26th-28th (High School

The Reach Conference is based on a Youth Development framework, providing leadership skills, support, and opportunities for young people.

Registration Forms:

2020 Reach Registration Download

Reach is a 3 day conference that features Challenge Day, workshops, and an Odyssey Ropes Course.

Challenge Day-Day 1

Challenge Day is the world leader in providing empowering and transformational workshops for teens as well as adults. Their programs create a safe, open, and caring space for people to connect in a nurturing and fun environment, helping people realize that they are not alone in the issues we face (bullying, drugs, violence, abuse, poverty, prejudice, racism, etc.). Their programs provide real empathy and real hope and catalyzes us to “be the change” in the world. People often describe their experience with Challenge Day as “the best day of my life.” Challenge Day has received numerous awards and has been featured on The Oprah Winfrey Show, MTV, the Emmy Award-winning documentary, Teen Files: Surviving High School and the book Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul.

Workshops-Day 2

Reach offers many workshops including The Love Movement, Take a Hike, Me, Myself, and I, Cyber Bullying, Poppin’ Facts on Pills, It Gets Better, Generation XYZ: “Common Culture”, More than Colors, Innocent Until Proven Guilty, The Influence of Alcohol: Committed, Athlete Committed, Positive School Culture, Leadership Master Class, and Opportunities Knockin’.

The Love Movement: Keep it real through love, life, and relationships. Participants explore what it takes to be in a healthy relationship with family and friends.

Take a Hike: Participants discover how being physically active and taking time in nature helps to reduce stress.

Me, Myself, and I: Participants learn how to take care of themselves physically and mentally to better cope with stress, and how to get support when needed.

Cyber Bullying: Participants learn tips and tools they can use to prevent bullying. They gain a greater understanding of the negative, irresponsible, and hurtful digital behaviors and trends that young people face.

Poppin’ Facts on Pills: In this workshop, participants build a foundation of knowledge and awareness around prescription drugs. They learn the signs and symptoms of use and abuse.

It Gets Better: Everyone deserves to be respected for who they are. In this workshop, people learn how to spread messages of hope and speak out against hate and intolerance.

Generation XYZ: “Common Culture”: Participants are educated through music, fashion, technology, and upcoming trends that influence today’s world.

More than Colors: Attendees learn how to influence others around them by breaking down barriers that uncover diversity, to change their palette to be more than just colors.

Innocent Until Proven Guilty: Participants learn how to erase preconceived notions and judgments based on physical appearance and the stereotypes that society carries.

The Influence of Alcohol: Committed: This workshop educates people on how successful youth groups decrease youth access to alcohol and implement effective strategies on working with parents and merchants.

Athlete Committed: This workshop is designed to optimize athletic performance by educating participants on the significance of nutrition, sleep, character, and chemical health. Athlete Committed promotes excellence on and off of the field!

Positive School Culture: Participants discover specific things they can do to create a better school campus-free from bullying and harassment-where nobody feels invisible

Leadership Master Class: This session prepares youth to learn how to be an effective leader by encouraging them to harness their passion to leave a positive mark on the world.

We’ve Got You!: This workshop will share great projects and fundraising ideas for your chapter to create an unforgettable experience.

Odyssey Ropes Course-Day 3

The Odyssey Ropes Course is a high ropes course focused on building teamwork, and breaking down barriers between people. The Odyssey Ropes Course usually consists of the Flying Squirrel, the Tower, the Wall, and a surprise workshop that varies from year to year.

Flying Squirrel: The unexpected and elated faces of people when they go ‘weightless’ is priceless! This event is made possible by the effort and enthusiasm of the team of peers that work together to pull and propel two students to heights of their choice – with a super swing too. The Flying Squirrel is essentially a 50ft slingshot. Support teams hoist the flyers fifty feet up in the air, either screaming, giggling, or both, simultaneously.

The Tower: The Tower is a rock climbing wall, where students must work together to climb, as they are attached to each other at their harnesses. If one student wants to give up, the other student is there to encourage them. Before climbing, the two climbers state who they are climbing with and state a relationship in their life that they want to work on. The wall serves as a metaphor as the participants start climbing, their goal being to reach the top and ring the bell. From the ground, their whole team cheers them on, offering support, encouragement, or advice on how to get even higher if they get stuck. Regardless of if they rang the bell or not, students are cheered on as the descend, and congratulated as their feet touch the ground.

The Wall: Students gather around 15 foot wall made of scaffolding and cloth. This wall cannot be climbed, because it requires the help and support of many people. One at a time, the participants approach the wall and are immediately surrounded by their peers, for both emotional and physical support. The participant states what this wall represents to them, before being pushed and hoisted over by their peers. All participants have their hands up, ready to catch the person if they fall. Once a participant climbs the wall, they then help others achieve the same feat.