Civic & Democracy Leaders Retreat
A few days in the Oregon woods for the people who keep civic life working, away from the inbox and the next election.
Applications open for August 2027
The retreat is 4 nights at Fernlove Retreat Center. Apply at least six weeks before your retreat.
Led by experienced, licensed facilitators
Prepare & integrate together
Your retreat team & call schedule
Every retreat includes, at a baseline: a one-on-one intake call with a retreat facilitator, two group preparation calls, and a group integration call. All calls are virtual, and all call times are PST.
August 17–21, 2027
Facilitation team announced about ten weeks before the retreat.
- One-on-one intake call with a retreat facilitator, before the first group call
- Two group prep calls on Zoom, about six weeks and two weeks before the retreat, at 12:00 or 5:15 PM PT. Dates are set with the team.
- Group integration call one to two weeks after the retreat
- Apply at least six weeks before the retreat. Applications are reviewed as they come in.
- $150 commitment deposit, refundable at the end of the retreat
A few days in the Oregon woods for the people who keep civic life working, away from the inbox and the next election.
This psilocybin group retreat is designed for leaders who hold up civic life and democracy in their communities, and who need space to rest, reflect, and reconnect.
This retreat is nonpartisan. It is open to leaders across the political spectrum, in government and out of it.
Who this retreat is for
This retreat is intended for leaders engaged in civic and democratic life, including:
- Community organizers and advocates
- Public servants and government staff
- Election officials and election workers
- Civic educators
- Public-media and local-news leaders
- Nonprofit leaders whose work strengthens democracy
- Community builders and caretakers
No prior psychedelic experience is required. Because space is limited, participation is application-based and scholarship-supported through CLRF.
What participants receive
- A fully covered retreat: licensed facilitation with preparation and integration, lodging at Fernlove, and meals
- A 4-night retreat experience in the forests of western Oregon
- Two guided group psilocybin sessions led by experienced facilitators, including preparation and integration sessions
- The opportunity to connect with a cohort of fellow leaders
- Space for rest, reflection, and renewal at Fernlove Retreat Center, in a forest just outside Portland, OR
- Opportunities to reconnect with purpose
What community leaders told us after the 2025 CLRF cohorts
Demoralization became action.
Against all evidence, I have great hope for the world, and my place in it.
I feel less alone in carrying the weight of leadership.
The retreat reminded me that my work is not separate from my healing.
I no longer feel emotionally numb. I feel alive again.
I came back with more compassion, more patience, and more clarity about how I want to serve.
Your question, answered
What’s covered, and what you cover
Your retreat is fully covered. The grant is an award that pays for your retreat, not a cost you pay. Every leader who joins this cohort is supported by the Community Leaders Resilience Fund, there isn’t a separate scholarship to win on top of being accepted.
What your grant covers: everything at the retreat, four nights of lodging at Fernlove, meals, licensed psilocybin facilitation, and the preparation and integration sessions around it.
What you cover: the cost of the medicine itself, and travel to and from Oregon.
There is also a small $150 commitment deposit, due three weeks before the retreat. It is fully refundable at the end of your retreat, or, if you choose, you can donate it back to support a future participant.
Your application is simply your request for support: tell us about your work, and we’ll work out the rest together.
Is there a deadline to apply?
Apply at least six weeks before your retreat
Applications for August 17–21, 2027 are open now. Applications are reviewed as they come in, and we mark the cohort closed as soon as it fills.
Missed the deadline but still really want to attend? Email us at access@sherieckert.org and we’ll do our best to help.
Why this retreat exists
Space to rest, reflect & reconnect
Civic work often asks people to carry a heavy load in public, from long nights before an election to meetings where neighbors are angry. This retreat makes room for rest and care for the people doing that work, because sustaining civic life also requires sustaining the people who keep it running.
Rather than focusing on productivity or performance, this retreat centers rest, healing, reflection, and renewal.
The flow of the retreat
A gentle, supported arc
- Arrival & Grounding. Participants arrive, settle into the space, meet the cohort, and begin building shared community agreements.
- Preparation & Intention Setting. Facilitators guide conversations and practices to support emotional preparation, reflection, and clarity of intention.
- Psilocybin Experiences. Participants engage in two guided group psilocybin sessions within Oregon’s legal, state-regulated framework.
- Integration & Reflection. Dedicated time for processing, integration, rest, and connection following the guided journey days.
- Departure. Participants leave with integration resources and continued connection to the CLRF community.
Meet your facilitators
Held with care, by licensed facilitators
This cohort will be guided by experienced, licensed facilitators working within Oregon’s state-regulated psilocybin program, with preparation and integration support throughout. The facilitation team is announced about ten weeks before the retreat, and every applicant is notified directly.
Where healing happens
Fernlove
📍 30 acres of Oregon forest · about an hour west of Portland, near Henry Hagg Lake
We are partnered with Fernlove as the service center facilitating the journey days as well as the on-site lodging. Fernlove is a state-licensed psilocybin service center located in an hour outside of Portland. Set within 30 acres of Oregon forest, Fernlove offers a quiet, nature-based setting for self-exploration.
Fernlove works exclusively with licensed facilitators and psilocybin sourced from licensed manufacturers. They prioritize thoughtful, comfortable accommodations throughout the property.
From the Administration Room to the intimate solitude of their Cabins and Airstreams, and the natural wonder of their trails, Fernlove offers a unique blend of experiences. Each aspect of the retreat is designed to support your journey to self-discovery and healing in nature’s serene embrace.
A nature-based setting
From the service-center room to the cabins and forest trails, every space is designed to support self-discovery and healing in nature’s quiet embrace.
Private lodging on site
Lodging is on site at Fernlove. Each participant has their own private bedroom in one of the property’s forest cabins, just steps from the service center.
Licensed and thoughtful
Fernlove is a state-recognized psilocybin service center that works exclusively with licensed facilitators and psilocybin from licensed manufacturers, prioritizing comfortable, well-considered accommodations.
An illustrated map of Fernlove, 30 acres of forest, the licensed service center & yoga studio, private cabins, and 1.4 miles of walking trails leading down toward Henry Hagg Lake.
Share the word
This retreat, at a glance
This is the flyer, no download needed. Tap the flyer link to find it here on the page, and share it with others by copying the link to this section below. Whoever you send it to lands right here on the flyer and can apply until the cohort fills.
Civic & Democracy Leaders Retreat
Who this retreat is for
- Community organizers and advocates
- Public servants and government staff
- Election officials and election workers
- Civic educators
- Public-media and local-news leaders
- Nonprofit leaders whose work strengthens democracy
- Community builders and caretakers
What you receive
- A fully covered retreat: licensed facilitation with preparation and integration, lodging at Fernlove, and meals
- A 4-night retreat experience in the forests of western Oregon
- Two guided group psilocybin sessions led by experienced facilitators, including preparation and integration sessions
- The opportunity to connect with a cohort of fellow leaders
- Space for rest, reflection, and renewal at Fernlove Retreat Center, in a forest just outside Portland, OR
- Opportunities to reconnect with purpose
Apply to attend
Visit sherieckert.org/civic or scan the code
Limited spots. Apply at least six weeks before your retreat.
A fully covered retreat: licensed facilitation with preparation and integration, lodging at Fernlove & meals are covered for every leader admitted to this cohort. You cover the medicine itself and your travel. We mark a cohort closed as soon as it fills.
Apply nowAbout the fund
The Community Leaders Resilience Fund
The Community Leaders Resilience Fund (CLRF) helps nonprofit, governmental, religious, environmental, and social leaders access Oregon’s state-regulated plant-medicine facilitation services.
Sustaining leaders in service to people and planet, CLRF offers scholarships, mentorship, and supportive retreats, making space for visioning, creativity, and healing alongside the realities of burnout, moral injury, creative ruts, and attrition, so leaders return to their communities with renewed purpose. Retreats are fully covered: grants are awards, not costs, and are made on a rolling basis.
Can’t make these dates?
We’d still love to hear from you
If you’re interested in a future Community Leaders Resilience Fund retreat but can’t attend the dates above, tell us a little about yourself. We’ll stay in touch about new cohorts, upcoming applications, and other retreat dates, and we keep every applicant updated as openings come up. Every 2027 date is listed on the CLRF page.
Civic & Democracy Leaders
Apply for August 17–21, 2027
Leadership requires enormous care and energy. This retreat was created to offer civic and democracy leaders space to receive support, step away from constant responsibility, and reconnect with themselves and community. Limited scholarship-supported spots are available. Applications are open now.
2027 dates are live
The 2027 Civic & Democracy Leaders Retreat is August 17–21. Applications are open.
ApplySee the dates