About RFG
Retreat for Girls gives young women ages 11 to 16 the opportunity to spend one week away from home in a fun and safe environment developing lifelong friendships and increasing their self-esteem and testimony.
The time girls spend at this conference truly is a retreat from the world and the many daily difficulties young people must often face. In addition to making new friendships, participants will engage in group team building activities, listen to enthusiastic guest speakers, join in daily scripture study and devotionals, and participate in a variety of service and craft activities during the week. Each young woman will return home more fully prepared to embrace her strengths and ready to face her challenges with renewed courage and optimism.
When and Where?
In 2021, of course we had to pivot.
While we had hoped to hold two sessions on the campus of Utah State University we ran into challenges that made that impossible. We began exploring options and found that there was really only one option available – so we went for it! It ended up being a great experience.
Retreat for Girls will once again be held in beautiful Logan, Utah at the Cache Valley Event Center and surrounded by the picturesque mountains of Cache Valley. We plan to hold this in-person session the week of July 17 – 20, 2023.
We are excited to announce that we will again have TWO registration options available for 2023!
The first option will be similar to the old EFY Stay at Home (return home daily/find own lodging locally). We know this may not be ideal, especially for those who don’t have local connections, and brings its own challenges. However, we are dedicated to making this a great experience for everyone who will join us and have made plans for a truly unique experience.
Our second option makes staying overnight on the USU campus a possibility. While we will still hold our events off-campus at the announced site, a limited number of participants will be able to stay overnight in the same dorms many have come to know over the years. Those who choose this option will be able to stay on campus with a breakfast and transportation to and from our conference site each day.
Why Join Us?
Opportunities for young women of similar backgrounds, faith and values to come together and develop lasting friendships and testimonies.
Each year, we have girls come from all over the world to join together with other young women who share their same standards. We have found these relationships often extend far beyond the week at Retreat for Girls.
A safe environment for young women to grow spiritually, socially and emotionally.
Retreat for Girls provides a well-supervised experience. Each day is full of a range of activities. With their counselor, participants will attend engaging speakers, complete crafts, offer service, have fun, and simply enjoy time learning and growing with their group.
Engaging guest speakers that address timely issues and gospel related topics in an entertaining, yet appropriate way.
Our speakers truly are the best! Each year, we seek to have a mix of previous and new speakers that bring relevant messages geared especially for our participants.
Well-trained, exceptional college-age counselors who understand the leadership role they play in the life of each young woman.
Our counselors are selected in a competitive application and interview process. They usually oversee a group of 12 girls. We know counselors are a critical part of the entire Retreat for Girls experience and we are excited for those who will be joining us this year.
Our Mission
“Retreat for Girls strives to be a support to parents and give young women from across the world the chance to grow by providing unique opportunities for developing or strengthening their testimony of Jesus Christ and reaffirming their divinity as daughters of a Heavenly Father who loves them. We do this through offering an unforgettable experience full of uplifting classes, fun and wholesome activities, and meaningful devotionals.”
Our History
Retreat for Girls is based on a program held at BYU for many years called Academy for Girls. Academy for Girls was an amazing program that touched the lives of countless young women for over 30 years. For many years, the Continuing Education Office at BYU sponsored many different programs which included: Academy for Girls, Especially for Youth (EFY), Be the Best You, Boys World of Adventure, and others.
Changes began to be made to some of these programs starting in 1996. Academy for Girls was shortened from a 10 day program to a 5 day program and the age limit was also changed from 12-18 to 12-14. In 1998 the Academy for Girls program ended and a new program, Especially for Youth for Girls, in conjunction with Especially for Youth (EFY), was implemented. Especially for Youth for Girls lasted just a short time before it was also discontinued. When Academy for Girls was discontinued there became a void for those who had a desire to participate in youth programs but were too young to yet attend EFY.
Knowing the impact that Academy for Girls had had on their young lives, three good friends that had been a part of the Academy for Girls program, first as participants and then later serving together as counselors, decided to try to fill this void. Katie Smith, Trudy Barrett, and Marissa Brown were each serving in leadership positions in the church’s Young Women’s program in Idaho, Arizona, and California respectively. Their experiences led them to recognize the need for something once again and a vision for Retreat for Girls was born in 2003. After two years of phone calls, brainstorming, and planning, the first session of Retreat for Girls was held during the summer of 2005 at Utah State University.
With a tragedy and several setbacks the first few years, the great experiences of participants and word of mouth praise for Retreat for Girls allowed it to continue. Katie Smith, one of the original founders, established Retreat for Girls, LLC and she and her husband, Jeremy, have worked hard in a labor of love to keep the program going thanks to the support of many past participants and their families, lots of counselors past and present, and many others. They and their children continue to do what it takes to put in the effort needed to make Retreat a success each summer.
Now moving into its 19th year, Retreat for Girls continues to grow and has established traditions of its own for girls from all across the United States and from countries around the world. This growing world-wide network of girls gives us hope for the future and inspires us to continue our efforts to make Retreat for Girls possible. We look forward to getting to know those who join us each summer to renew their faith, find lifelong friends, and have to simply have fun. We hope to possibly expand to additional locations in the future.