In this retreat, participants will take an in-depth look at Hans Christian Anderson’s classic, The Ugly Duckling. Topics to be covered include loneliness, isolation, transformation, acceptance, diversity, and tolerance. Participants will learn ways to develop their own inner strength in the face of adversity and how to identify their own unique skills and talents. Bullying in schools and the workplace will also be addressed and participants will develop their own personal responses as well as community solutions to those problems. This will be done through dramatic reading, role play, and discussion. Students will remember this for a long time to come.