Designed By Families, For Families
Event Description
The Empowering Families Retreat is your opportunity to invest in your growth as a parent and leader. This retreat will empower you with the tools and confidence to advocate for your children’s needs and build stronger connections within your family and community. Join other parents and caregivers in a scenic, supportive environment for practical sessions led by family leaders. You’ll leave feeling more connected, motivated, and equipped to create lasting positive change in your family’s life. Both solo attendees and couples are encouraged to attend. Many participants come on their own, while others attend with a spouse, partner, family member, or friend. Each adult attending must register separately.
Event Details
When: October 23-24, 2026
Where:Â K Bar S Lodge, 434 Old Hill City
Rd, Keystone, SD 57751
Your retreat registration includes complimentary lodging for Friday night. If you would like to arrive early or stay an additional night after the retreat, rooms are available at a discounted group rate of $149 per night. Additional nights are the responsibility of the attendee. To book an additional night, call K Bar S Lodge at 605-857-8805 and reference “Empowering Families.”
Friday, October 23
   • Registration & Check-In | 3:00 PM
• Welcome Reception & Dinner | 4:00-8:00 PM
Saturday, October 24
   • Learning, Voice, and Skill Building | 8:30AM-3:00PM
Cost: Free. This retreat is exclusively for adults, providing you with uninterrupted time for personal growth.Â
What to Expect
Join us for a transformative experience that encourages real growth. Activities include educational sessions on parenting and leadership, parent cafes to engage in discussions with peers, self-care sessions to reflect and relax, and networking opportunities. Parents who attended last year stepped into new leadership roles, explored teaching in detention centers, and even considered fostering youth—discover how this retreat can inspire you to make a positive impact in your family and community.
Retreat Offerings
Leadership & Parenting Skills
Gain practical tools for leading your family with confidence and compassion. Our sessions help build leadership skills you can apply at home and in the community.
Peer Connections
Self-Care & Reflection
Take time for yourself with self-care activities designed to recharge your mind and body, helping you return home feeling empowered and focused.
Keynote Speakers & Sessions
Lunch Session: EveryDay Strong
United Way of the Black Hills
Discover how small, everyday moments can make a big difference in the lives of children and families. This engaging lunchtime session introduces EveryDay Strong, a community initiative dedicated to building resilience through everyday relationships. You’ll explore simple, practical ways to strengthen supportive connections, promote emotional well-being, and help children thrive at home, at school, and in the community. Leave with encouraging ideas and easy strategies you can begin using right away.
Kayla Klein
CEO KVG Consulting
Kayla Klein is a proven leader with over 15 years of experience in nonprofit management, advocacy, and strategic fundraising. She helps organizations strengthen their impact through branding, awareness campaigns, and advocacy. An experienced coalition builder, Kayla has led statewide initiatives, secured legislative wins, and expanded critical early education programs. Kayla is also serving her second term as City Commissioner for the city of Lead. Additionally, this summer, she successfully created and facilitated KVG Consulting’s first Demystifying Advocacy Bootcamp, a multi-day intensive training for those interested in starting or advancing their advocacy journey.
Dinner Keynote: Tending and Mending a Servant’s HeartÂ
Hollie Strand
One of the most talked-about and highly rated sessions from last year’s retreat returns by popular demand. During this dinner keynote, Hollie invites parents, caregivers, and those who spend their lives caring for others to reflect, recharge, and rediscover the resilience needed to navigate challenges with courage, clarity, and hope.
Hollie Strand works as a Forensic Examiner for the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Working in the field for the last 28 years, she has held the positions of police officer, forensic interviewer, and counselor with an extensive history providing therapy for individuals in the correctional system.Â
Real Impact: What Participants Are Saying
I think it was just really great to get away the busy day to day responsibilities I have and to spend time with my husband. We got to bond but also took time to discuss and learn about parenting and our family dynamics.