CEWL RETREATS
CEWL Retreats are created by educators FOR educators. Founded by Jelena Popovic and Todd Scholl in 2016, these secular, science-based, trauma-sensitive experiences include mindfulness practices, yoga, and community-building. If you are in need of renewal and reconnection, these affordable retreats are calling!
This summer we are offering two wellness retreats. The first will be held June 25-27, 2025. The second will be held July 23-25, 2025. Spaces are limited! If you are interested in attending, please complete the application below. We will follow up with an email to notify you of your acceptance.
Pricing / What's Included
Pricing
$150 for members of The SCEA
$250 for non-members
Accommodations
Each participant will have accommodations in a shared cabin.
Trainings, activities, and book
At the beginning of the retreat, you will be provided a menu of trainings and activities. You will be free to select which of these work for you. All participants will select a book related to the content covered in the retreat.
Meals, snacks, and refreshments
Each cabin is equipped with a full kitchen. You are free to bring your own food, but we will provide the following meals:
Day One: Dinner
Day Two: Light Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner
Day Three: Light Breakfast
Coffee, tea, and snacks will also be provided.
Description
Educators need opportunities for renewal. They need intentional time set aside to restore their spirits, refill their own buckets, and recommit to their wellness. Our educator wellness retreats offer a special kind of experience for teachers that focus on nourishing their inner lives in an environment of autonomy, relevance, and compassion. These secular, science-based, and trauma-sensitive retreats are designed BY educators FOR educators.
This year's retreats will be held at Indigo Nature Retreat in Old Fort, NC. During the retreat, participants will explore trauma-sensitive mindfulness practices, gentle, restorative yoga, and other wellness practices. Together, we will cultivate community of care and create an atmosphere that facilitates personal renewal and reconnection. Our retreats are intended for public school educators, administrators, school counselors, school psychologists, education majors, and college professors who prepare teachers.
TESTIMONIALS
ACCOMMODATIONS
Located in the heart of Pisgah National forest with the Blue Ridge Mountains as our canvas Indigo Nature retreat provides the perfect setting to get away and unwind. Dense foliage, rolling currents, and diverse trails make our home away from home a unique place to come alive. Learn more at www.indigoretreat.com.
RETREAT EXPECTATIONS
-
CHOICE - Opting out of any activity
-
A maximum of sixteen retreat participants
-
Limited use of personal cell phones/technology in order to foster mindful awareness
-
Secular teaching and practices to honor people of all faith backgrounds
-
Content geared towards public school educators working with youth
-
A collegial, casual atmosphere - Wear comfortable clothes, no prior experience necessary
-
A true retreat, not professional development or a workshop
-
No pets allowed at the retreat center
-
If you are currently struggling with significant physical and/or mental health issues, this retreat would not be appropriate for you
RETREAT FACILITATORS
.png)
Superpowers:
🛠️ Opportunities manifester
🪄 Facilitation maestro
🥰 Love generator
🌍 Peace ambassador
To create a deep sense of connection and belonging, we need to acknowledge our interdependence and cultivate communities of care. That’s why Jelena has dedicated her career to mindfulness group facilitation and leadership, peace education and is
committed to justice and service. Jelena Popovic is a veteran school psychologist who is experienced in creating communities of care for educators and supporting them in cultivating their mindfulness practice and teaching.
With Todd Scholl she co-created and co-facilitated the inaugural South Carolina Mindfulness for Educators Retreat at Newberry College in June 2016. Since then, Jelena has guided numerous in-person and virtual retreats for educators including Greenville County School District, Buncombe County Schools, Mindful Schools, Copper Beech Institute and international At Home In the World family retreats.
She currently serves as a WholeSchool Mindfulness Director at an early childhood education center in Greenville, South Carolina, is on the advisory board for the Peace of Mind, works as a Program Facilitator for Mindful Schools, guides groups as a Cloud Sangha Teacher, is an Awakening Joy for Educators teacher, and serves as Practicing Peace in Schools Leadership Council lead for the Peace Alliance. She is also a co-founder of Design to Connect, LLC, an educational consulting organization, that assists schools in their efforts in skillful, integrated, and sustainable communities of care practices and wholeschool mindfulness implementation.
Superpowers:
💡 Idea Generator
🎤 Communication Wizard
👁️ Vision to Reality Actualizer
🤓 Star Wars Nerd
Todd Scholl is the Founder and Lead Learner at The SCEA's Center for Educator Wellness & Learning. He is the former Coordinator of Communications & Program Development at South Carolina's Center for Educator Recruitment, Retention & Advancement (CERRA). Todd is a 200-Hour Registered Yoga Teacher.
He also spent over fifteen years in the classroom in Horry County. Todd's passion is to empower educators with tools and information related to mindfulness, trauma-informed practices, restorative practices, social-emotional learning, yoga, self-care, neuroscience, psychology, and teacher wellness. Todd stumbled upon mindfulness practice while searching for solutions to manage his stress as an educator. For over a decade, Todd has facilitated hundreds of sessions on mindfulness and other SEL practices for educators.