Story 47 - Fall Kickoff

Fall Kickoff is an annual NHRI event that brings together leadership mentors, leadership mentees, and their families for a day of leadership development and community-building. 

What some alumni fondly remember as Football Fridays, current mentors, and mentees now celebrate as Fall Kickoff. This event began as a fundraising initiative to support the program's operational costs, featuring silent auctions, raffles, and direct donations. It served as a fun environment for mentor and mentee families to come together all while supporting an organization they hold dear. Today, Fall Kickoff remains one of NHRI's largest annual fundraising efforts.

The event begins with a Real Leadership Challenges (RLC) retreat for mentors and mentees. The RLC retreat curriculum is built on the seven dimensions of the Social Change Model of Leadership. The 2024 topic is Controversy with Civility. In this interactive session, mentors and mentees will explore how to learn from others, share their point of view, and work with a group to formulate an idea for positive social change.

While mentors and mentees are in the RLC retreat, mentee parents and alumni are invited to learn about the NHRI research agenda from Dr. Lindsay Hastings, Research Director of NHRI. Experience a glimpse of the NHRI class for leadership mentors and learn about Dr. Hastings' research exploring outcomes for mentors and mentees in NHRI.

Afterward, everyone comes back together to enjoy project booths, games, activities, and refreshments while getting to know other NHRI families.

As a Fall Kickoff tradition, the board of directors selects their favorite project activity, and the winning project gets a pizza party at their next project meeting!

Keilyn (left) and Cayden (middle) at Fall Kickoff in 2015 - on Olsson rooftop