Each year Grace Place’s AP Leadership Program’s students and staff attend Riverside Retreat Center near La Belle, Florida. It is a highly anticipated event that proves year after year to be well attended by our high school AP Leadership students.

Last Saturday, the AP Leadership students spent a portion of their spring break at the retreat. Students and staff participated in a variety of activities from kayaking on the Caloosahatchee River to a C.O.P.E. (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) Course that challenged our students to complete difficult tasks by working together, trusting one another and collaborating on solutions.

We weave this leadership development activity into our AP Leadership Program for a purpose; to develop character, leadership skills and team building. Leadership development is one of the five elements of our AP Leadership Program whose mission is to break the cycle of poverty by ensuring these students graduate from high school, seek continued higher education and enter the workforce as hard-working, prepared professionals.