The retreat consists of two one-week sessions that gather 200 retreat participants.  These participants include current and future school and university educators, university students, and young professionals from every Oblast. Ukrainians that are 18-28 years of age are eligible to participate in the summer retreat and are selected on the basis of their democratic ideals, civic activism and English language skills.  All participants study either Leadership or Civics; Gender Issues, Sexual Health, or Understanding Diversity; Journalism, Debate, Environment, or Drama.  All participants are required to attend and take part in American Sports.   

Within the framework of the retreat, all participants outline and create an appropriate and realistic action plan addressing a community problem they have identified. Participants must gather information, develop a plan, weigh pros and cons to different approaches and ultimately map out a timeline for completion of their project. Each participant is assigned a counselor to assist her/him in the development of this action plan and these counselors made familiar with the action plan process during the pre-retreat staff orientation.   

When participants are not in lessons or action plan meetings, they are often participating in teamwork activities. On the first day, the participants are divided into teams that compete for points throughout the week. Each team’s success relies on class attendance, group participation, team spirit, and team challenges. Team challenges are activities designed to encourage individuals to work together and independently assign roles of leadership. As the week progresses, participants become more adept at addressing conflict resolution issues, demonstrating what they have learned, and discussing the application of these skills in their lives.