What is Retreat?

The Henry Strobel Retreat is a chance for you to meet your future classmates in a stress-free, laid-back environment. The second year class is responsible for making sure the Retreat is an awesome experience for the incoming class, and we take our job seriously. Many current students, faculty, and alumni attend, so you’ll have a chance to meet a lot of your McGovern family.

The 2026 retreat will be held at Camp Cho-Yeh this year! The camp is located just over an hour north of Houston and has a wide variety of recreation offerings, including paintball, axe throwing, basketball, rope swings, archery, and a variety of lawn games. The property also has a swimming hole where there will be opportunities to swim, kayak, play sand volleyball, or just sit and enjoy the great outdoors. In between activities, a variety of lunch options will be provided. Transportation from the UTHealth Rec Center to Camp Cho-Yeh and back will be provided. We look forward to seeing you there!

Disclaimer: please refrain from bringing children to the campsite as there are no childcare services available. Additionally, this retreat will be limited to students, alumni, and faculty due to this being a single day event and not an overnight stay.

Learn more about the history of the Henry Strobel Retreat under “Retreat Beginnings.”

This Year’s Theme: The Last Carebender

After 100 gap years, the avatar has returned. 

Like every great bender, you have spent your whole life sharpening your knowledge base and refining your people skills. Now is your chance to show off your skills in a never-before-seen clashing of elements in the 50th annual McGovern retreat.

Even the avatar needed a team to bring peace to the world. Your nation will travel together on amazing travel contraptions (made by Dow, the Mechanist) to Camp Cho-Yeh. There, you will take on thrilling challenges, engage in friendly team competitions, and craft victory schemes beyond even Sokka’s abilities. 

Come ready to represent your nation: Zuko’s hot-headed red, Aang’s nimble orange, Katara’s graceful blue, Toph’s steadfast green, and for the non-benders, Appa and Momo’s charming white. 

It’s time – the chakras have aligned, you’ve had Uncle Iroh’s jasmine tea, and your spirit is set ablaze. This is your moment to shine. May the best benders win!