More Than Back to School: Preparing Students for Success

City of Refuge Foundation and Mt. Rose City of Refuge COGIC Help Young People Begin the School Year Equipped, Encouraged and Ready to Grow

A successful school year begins with more than notebooks, backpacks and pencils.

Young people also need confidence. They need information. They need encouragement, positive relationships and practical tools to help them navigate the academic, social and personal challenges they will encounter throughout the year.

That understanding has helped shape the annual Back-to-School Retreat at Mt. Rose City of Refuge COGIC, supported by the City of Refuge Foundation.

Over the years, the retreat has grown beyond a traditional back-to-school event into an opportunity to invest in the whole student—academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually.

Learning Beyond the Classroom

One of the strengths of the Back-to-School Retreat is its focus on meeting students at their individual stages of development.

Students participate in age-appropriate groups, allowing activities and conversations to address issues that are relevant to elementary, middle and high school students. The 2026 retreat, for example, included programming across four student cohorts.

Rather than simply telling students to “have a good school year,” retreat activities are designed to help give them tools they can carry with them when they return to school.

Students receive opportunities for learning, discussion, personal development, fellowship and mentorship while interacting with trusted adults and community members who want to see them succeed.

Preparing Students for a Digital World

The retreat also recognizes that today's students face challenges previous generations did not experience in quite the same way.

Technology, smartphones and social media are part of students' everyday lives.

For middle and high school students participating in the 2026 retreat, one learning focus addressed how young people can navigate the digital world responsibly.

Through a session centered on being “Sent as an Influence, Not a Topic,” students were encouraged to think critically about their digital footprint and what their posts, comments and online interactions communicate about who they are.

The conversation challenged students to develop a positive “digital testimony” and provided practical guidance around discipline, healthy technology boundaries and learning to control digital tools rather than allowing notifications, algorithms and social media to control them.

It is an example of how the retreat addresses not only academic preparation, but also the real-life situations students encounter every day.

Connecting Students With Resources and Opportunity

Another important benefit of the Back-to-School Retreat is connection.

Students and families are introduced to people, programs and opportunities that can continue supporting them after the retreat ends.

The event has become an important point of connection to the City of Refuge Foundation's broader youth initiatives, including its College Tour and college-readiness programming.

During the 2026 retreat, the Foundation began promoting its upcoming third annual College Tour and creating a contact list of interested students and families. Plans surrounding the tour include workshops and an application timeline that will help students prepare well before traveling to college campuses.

For older students, that means the Back-to-School Retreat can become the beginning of a much longer journey—from preparing for another year of high school to beginning serious conversations about college, careers and life after graduation.

The Power of Community

Perhaps one of the most valuable resources students receive during the retreat cannot be placed inside a backpack.

It is community.

Volunteers, presenters, church leaders, professionals, Foundation members and other caring adults give their time to interact with students, share knowledge and create an environment where young people know adults are invested in their success.

That matters.

Students benefit from seeing adults from different backgrounds and professions willing to answer questions, share experiences and encourage them to think about their choices and futures.

The retreat reinforces an important message:

You do not have to navigate your future alone.

There are people in your church and community who are willing to help.

Creating a Continuum of Support

The success of the Back-to-School Retreat is also reflected in what happens around it.

City of Refuge Foundation board discussions have increasingly connected the retreat with other opportunities involving college exposure, school partnerships, community enrichment workshops and youth development.

That creates the potential for something much larger than a once-a-year event.

A student can participate in a Back-to-School Retreat, learn new skills, connect with mentors and discover the College Tour.

That student can later participate in college-readiness workshops, visit universities, explore career or technical education opportunities and receive continued encouragement while deciding what comes next.

Each program becomes another point of connection along the student's journey.

Measuring Success Differently

The success of a Back-to-School Retreat isn't measured only by attendance or by what students receive that day.

Success can also be the middle school student who becomes more thoughtful about what they post online.

It can be a high school student who learns about the College Tour and begins imagining themselves attending a university.

It can be a student who develops greater confidence, learns a new skill or meets an adult who becomes a positive influence.

And sometimes success is simply a young person beginning a new school year knowing:

My family supports me. My church supports me. My community believes I can succeed.

Those are resources students can carry long after school supplies have been used.

Through the Back-to-School Retreat, Mt. Rose City of Refuge COGIC and the City of Refuge Foundation are helping students begin each school year with more than supplies.

They are helping them begin with knowledge, encouragement, relationships, resources, faith and possibilities for the future.

And that is an investment capable of lasting far beyond the first day of school.

City of Refuge Foundation
Empowering Families. Building Legacy. Strengthening Community.