Blog
Where Will Your Moral Compass Lead You?
The 2026 Older Youth IL Retreat was once again held at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown from July 27–31, and the 412 Youth Zone took 12 young people for a week filled with fun activities and opportunities to connect with other young adults from across Pennsylvania. This year’s theme was Where Will Your Moral Compass Lead You?, and young people participated in a variety of activity groups throughout the week, including Fire Up: Cooking and Baking Skills, Sewing & Fiber Arts, Pardon My Garden, Photography, Banner of Expression, Pieces of Me, Write Your Heart Out, and, new this year, Pottery!
The weeklong retreat is planned by a Steering Committee made up of youth from across Pennsylvania, and this year, the Youth Zone was proud to have one of our own members, Natalie, serve on the committee. Natalie attended planning meetings throughout the year leading up to the retreat and continued to take on a leadership role once we arrived. During the retreat, she led the Red Peer Group all the way to second place in the peer games by the end of the week!
The IL Retreat also gives young people a chance to experience a taste of college life. Throughout the week, we stay right on campus, sleeping in the underclassmen dorms and eating meals in the cafeteria. Peer groups and activity sessions are held in classrooms across campus, giving young people the opportunity to build relationships not only with others from their own counties, but also with peers from across Pennsylvania who may share similar experiences through foster care.
If you have CYF experience and are interested in attending next year’s retreat, reach out to your Youth Coach to learn more!