Empowering Cohorts · Years 5–12

School Retreat, Reflection & Wellbeing Days

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Tailored one-day formation and reflection experiences that build connection, self-awareness and belonging; designed around your cohort and delivered at your school

TWO STREAMS · ONE DEVELOPMENTAL JOURNEY

Choose the framing that fits your school

Same tailored day underneath: we shape the language and lens to your community.

  • Faith & Formation

    For Catholic & faith-based schools

    Retreat, reflection and formation days aligned to your RE curriculum and Mission & Identity framework; reinforcing the values and spirituality you already teach.

    Explore Faith & Formation →

  • Wellbeing & Connection

    For secular & all schools

    The same developmental journey as a secular reflection and wellbeing day; connection, self-awareness and belonging, mapped to your pastoral and wellbeing framework.

    Explore Wellbeing & Connection →

A developmental journey, year by year

Each year builds on the last: the same arc, framed for faith or wellbeing

  • YEAR 7

    Knowing self

    Connection through community: friendship, inclusion and belonging in the transition to high school.

  • YEAR 8

    Being self

    Popular, or authentic? Values, self-acceptance and a strong moral compass in the middle years.

  • YEAR 9

    Growing self

    Taking the step: healthy relationships, vulnerability, trust and empathy as peer bonds deepen.

  • YEAR 10

    Losing self: finding purpose

    Identity, gifts and purpose: learning to lead themselves before they lead others.

  • Primary (Year 5-6): finishing strong and looking forward; leadership, friendship, and finding my voice while encouraging others.

  • Senior & leadership retreats: for elected leaders, see our leadership program “Answer the Call”, or ask about a bespoke 1-day leadership retreat.

School Retreats for Every Year Level

A developmental journey from Year 5 through Year 10, tailored to your cohort.

  • The final years of primary school are a special moment in a young person's journey: finishing strong, and looking with confidence toward what comes next. Our primary school retreat helps Year 5 and 6 students reflect on who they are becoming and step up as leaders within their school community.

    Aimed at Year 5 and 6, schools can choose from bespoke retreat designs, including:

    • Leadership in the primary school

    • Friendship and connection

    • Finding my voice, while encouraging others

    • School-specific themes (by mutual agreement)

    Every primary retreat is tailored to your cohort, giving students a meaningful, age-appropriate day that builds confidence, connection, and a sense of what lies ahead.

  • Starting high school is exciting, but it can also feel overwhelming. Our Year 7 school retreat supports students through that transition with a reflection day built on relational pedagogy, experiential learning, and your school's values. The result is a day where students build authentic connections and a genuine sense of belonging.

    Through interactive activities and guided reflection, students will:

    • Explore what it means to be a true friend

    • Foster inclusion and respect within their cohort

    • Accept and celebrate difference

    • Strengthen their identity as part of a united Year 7 community

    More than an incursion, this bespoke retreat lays the foundation for empathy, connection, and community at the very start of high school.

  • The middle years are a time of transformation: physically, socially, and emotionally. Students start asking big questions about who they are, what they believe, and where they fit. Empowerment-Ed's Year 8 school retreat gives them a safe, engaging space to reflect, recalibrate, and reconnect.

    This reflection day helps students:

    • Unpack their personal values and build a strong moral compass

    • Understand the power of authenticity and self-acceptance

    • Support others in being their true selves

    • Build empathy, resilience, and respectful relationships within their cohort

    Meeting students exactly where they are, this retreat helps young people navigate adolescence with confidence, clarity, and compassion.

  • Adolescence is when young people redefine their relationships, moving beyond family ties toward deeper peer connections. Empowerment-Ed's Year 9 school retreat, 'Growing Self', offers a clear, compassionate roadmap for navigating that shift with purpose and integrity.

    This reflection day invites students to:

    • Explore what healthy relationships look like across friendships, family, and romantic contexts

    • Understand the role of vulnerability in building trust and connection

    • Embrace acceptance of self and others as the foundation of respect

    • Reflect on their own relational patterns and how to grow empathy and authenticity

    The result is a transformative day that equips students with the relational tools to thrive through the back half of middle school.

  • As senior school approaches, students begin asking the big questions: Who am I? Who am I not? Who do I want to become? Empowerment-Ed's Year 10 school retreat, 'Losing Self', creates a space to reflect deeply on identity, values, and purpose.

    This reflection day guides students to:

    • Explore the difference between who they are and what they do

    • Reflect on their personal story and future aspirations

    • Discover their unique gifts and how to lead with authenticity

    • Build the clarity and confidence to step into life beyond school

    The result is a day that empowers students to lead themselves before they lead others, as they move into their final years of school.

What schools say

  • Across the day, Ben Russell from Empowerment-Ed led high-energy sessions focused on Authenticity, Vulnerability, and Empower Self = Empower Others Students left with practical skills and commitments: to be upstanders and good friends, not bystanders; to practise authenticity over performance online or in groups; to notice who might be on the edges and make space for them. These priorities echo the retreat’s focus on respect, empathy, inclusivity and integrity. We’re grateful to have Ben Russell (Empowerment-Ed) and our staff team for crafting a day that was engaging, age-appropriate and deeply formative for our Year 8 cohort.

    Lachlan Heshusius - Dean of Identity - St Laurence’s College

  • Ben is an engaging presenter who meets the students where they are at in terms of their individual religious understanding and spirituality. Instructions are clearly given  and large groups are managed very well. Students were involved throughout the day in a series of age-appropriate activities that linked into their RE curriculum. Ben was not afraid to challenge them to ask questions of themselves, their cohort and their own values and behaviours. I highly recommend Ben as a facilitator for Catholic schools

    Kathy Strelow - Assistant Principal (Mission and Identity) - St Ursula’s College

  • Thank you so much for your excellent work today for our Year 8 Day of Reflection Ben. I've heard excellent feedback from both staff and students.

    Tina Van Domburg - Faith and Liturgy Leader - St Ignatius’ College, Riverview

  • Engagement and delivery was clear and safe for students. Loved the day and look forward to working with Empowerment Ed in the future!

    Cheryl Hamill - Assistant Principal (Mission) - Daramalan College

  • Thank you Ben, we appreciated your engagement and facilitation with the Year 9 Retreat Day. Students engaged well and the activities were age-appropriate and meaningful for them.

    Nicole White - Middle Leader - Identity and Mission - Aquinas College

  • Thank you once again for working with our 9s last week. It was wonderful to have you on board. We are keen to work with you again in the future as the day was very well received.

    Mark D - Program Leader - Iona College

A man holding a microphone speaking in front of a group of children sitting on stairs, with a decorated table and scattered papers in front of him, in an auditorium with a large yellow curtain in the background.
A classroom or auditorium with students sitting on the wooden floor, listening to a presenter. The presenter is a man holding a microphone, standing in front of a display area. The students are wearing dark blue and teal uniforms, and there are empty
A man giving a presentation in front of an audience in a conference room. The man is holding a microphone and gesturing with his other hand, with a projector screen behind him.
A large group of students seated in chairs in a spacious hall with brick walls and high windows, possibly waiting for an event or assembly.
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Students sitting on the floor in a large, well-lit room with large windows, while some other students and adults stand and walk around.
Decorative display with water jug and books on a black cloth, surrounded by colorful paper, in front of a presentation screen with the title 'Year 9 Retreat Day' and the logo of ST Ursula's.
A classroom or event space set up for a retreat day with a large screen displaying a PowerPoint slide titled 'Year 9 Retreat Day,' organized by Empowerment Ed, featuring a colorful cross on a stage with fabric drapes, and framed pictures on the walls
A large group of students seated in a classroom or auditorium listening to a speaker standing at a podium. The room has a high, sloped ceiling with lights and large windows in the background.
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Frequently asked questions

  • A tailored, one-day formation and reflection experience delivered at your school. Through interactive activities, real-life scenarios and guided reflection, students build connection, self-awareness and a stronger sense of who they are and who they want to become. Every day is designed around your specific cohort.

  • Yes, two streams. Our Faith & Formation stream is built for Catholic and faith-based schools and aligns with your RE curriculum and Mission & Identity framework. Our Wellbeing & Connection stream delivers the same developmental journey as a secular reflection and wellbeing day. We'll match the framing to your community.

  • Years 5 to 12, each with its own theme in a developmental arc: from Year 7 "Knowing self" through to Year 10 "Losing self: finding purpose" plus tailored primary (Year 5–6) and senior leadership retreats.

  • A dynamic balance of listening, doing and reflecting: expert facilitation from our Director Ben, cohort-specific content, and activities that get students genuinely involved rather than lectured at. Typically it runs across your school day, usually 9am-3pm, shaped around your timetable for break times.

  • We work with a full cohort and have worked with groups of over 300 across the day. Depending on your cohort size, we adjust and amend our program appropriately to ensure personal impact for every single student.

  • Yes. We deliver at your school or chosen retreat venue, right across Australia. We're based in Brisbane, Queensland.

  • We design each day to sit inside your existing framework e.g. RE and Mission for faith schools, wellbeing and pastoral care for secular schools. It reinforces what you already teach, rather than sitting alongside it.

  • Every day is led by Ben Russell, Director of Empowerment-Ed. He is a registered teacher with a Master's in Education (Leadership) and 15+ years of school leadership experience and has facilitated retreats since 2010. This experience has been from Year 5 reflection days, Year 9 overnight retreats, to Year 12 three-day retreats. Rest easy knowing he has created atmospheres of reflection and formation for thousands of students.

  • We recommend as much lead in time as possible, but do work off short notice too if dates align. More lead in time allows us to get a full grasp of each school and cohorts requirements to ensure the highest possibility of a transformative experience. Booking early also secures dates during peak ‘retreat season’.

Get in Touch

For a friendly chat with our Director Ben, call 0422 066 281. For questions, bookings, and more info, please complete the contact form.