DATE: 
September 20-21 2025
Check-in:  11:00 AM
Check-out:  Noon
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LOCATION:
Georgia FFA Campground
720 FFA FHA Camp Road
​Covington, GA 30014
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WHO CAN ATTEND:
For students in 9th - 12th Grade (current 8th graders who are moving up to 9th grade in the Fall of 2025 is also eligible). You do NOT have to be in Key Club to Participate.
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TICKETS:
$125 each
Includes 3 meals (lunch and dinner on Saturday and breakfast on Sunday), snacks and refreshments, lodging for Saturday night, all materials, and more!
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QUESTIONS:
Sharon Barksdale, Event Chair
[email protected]
REGISTER NOW:
Register by
​September 5th
SHARE!
Download the flyer to share with the local high schools and teens in your community!
The Emerging Leaders Retreat is a fun, interactive, and engaging experience for students! It's a leadership training program for all high school students (public, private, or home school) in the Georgia District. They do NOT have to be in Key Club to participate.
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Emerging Leaders will accomplish the following:

  1. To encourage the students to discover WHO they are and WHO they can be
  2. To encourage the students to discover WHAT they have the ability to do and WHAT they are capable of doing.
  3. To show the students HOW and WHERE they can contribute to their community through service.
  4. To let the students learn WHY they are needed and WHY they ARE a part of the future of THEIR communities.

Meet Dave

The Retreat will be facilitated and led by Dave Kelly, a Georgia Kiwanian.
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Dave is a professional speaker, trainer, author, and coach. He is known as America’s Student Leadership Trainer for his work teaching and training students to be better leaders. In his 17 years as a professional speaker, her has spoken and trained more than 700 times on college campuses and for over 100 higher education conferences. He has also presented virtual programs more than 250 times. He has been a leader in student government, the Alpha Lamba Delta Honor Society, and organizations such as Circle K International where he served a term as International President. He is an award-winning advisor and is involved in the community through his Kiwanis clubs. He is the National Coordinator of APCA Serves!, the community engagement initiative of the Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities and was twice named as the APCA Campus Speaker of the Year for 2019 and 2022.

Adult Volunteers Needed

​Since this is a youth event, we need adult volunteers for the Retreat
for those who have completed the Kiwanis International background check to serve as chaperones and staff.

If you are interested, please contact Sharon Barksdale.