Having the courage to be themselves and having the courage to stand up for others are just two of the things Albert Lea eighth-graders learned Thursday.

Albert Lea High School eighth-graders got the chance to participate in a courage retreat led by Youth Frontiers Thursday and today; half of the grade went each day. The retreat is led by three adults from Youth Frontier and volunteers from the junior and senior classes at the high school.

“We’re having a day where these kids will commit to an act of courage,” Youth Frontier leader Maddie Lenarz said.

This is the eighth year Albert Lea students have been able to attend a courage retreat. Eighth-grade teacher JoAnn Erickson said that even through the course of the day that students become more comfortable around all their classmates and become less guarded.

“The whole thing is about encouraging them to be themselves,” Erickson said.

Erickson said the students participate in large group activities and hear from the Youth Frontier workers, and there’s also small-group discussions where all students can talk and participate. She said the courage retreat is especially impactful for eighth-graders because students at that age are going through many transitions.

“The discussions encourage them to be open about the challenges they face,” Erickson said.

Claire Jones, an eighth-grader, said she enjoyed being able to come out of her comfort zone and feel like she can be herself around others. One tenet of the retreat teaches the students to put themselves in someone else’s position and understand that all people have their own struggles.

“Once people start to understand others they aren’t going to judge,” Jones said.

She liked the opportunity to get to know other classmates as well. Senior Suzie Marin, who was volunteering for the day, also liked getting to know the eighth-graders. She participated in a courage retreat when she was in that same grade and understands how it can help students.

“I thought it was beneficial for us when we did it in eighth-grade,” Marin said. “The questions get them to open up and talk.”

In addition to games and fun activities, the Youth Frontier leaders shared personal stories about how fear of what others might think made them make a wrong choice. Then in small group discussions students were able to talk openly about different subjects like how peer pressure has affected themselves or other students.

The event was held all day at Crossroads Church in Albert Lea; it has previously been held at United Methodist Church. Mayo Clinic Health System helps provide funding for the programming. Youth Frontiers is a nonprofit organization based in Minneapolis that provides different retreats for different age groups with themes like courage, respect, kindness and wisdom.