FAQs

Host: The Ballard Center for Social Impact at Brigham Young University 

Map to the location: Aspen Grove Retreat Center, Provo Utah 

Point of contact at BYU: Jill Piacitelli, Ballard Center Associate Director, jill_piacitelli@byu.edu 

Emergency* number to use: Jill Piacitelli – 801.673.8997 

*Let's assume the use of a spectrum of this term – anything from “I have a question that I’m almost embarrassed to ask, like can I bring snacks” to “I’m lost!” to a friend/family member needing a backup to reach you.  You can also start using this number to text Jill now (don't worry - Jill is typing this so is giving full consent) since that's the fastest way you'll reach her and the fastest way to get a response. 

Located in the Marriott School of Business at Brigham Young University in Provo Utah, the Ballard Center for Social Impact develops the faith and skills to solve social problems. We engage student leadership in the process of creating and serving a community of highly effective social impact practitioners who work to increase human flourishing and decrease human suffering. We do this by improving the extent to which individuals, organizations, and institutions can solve social problems. We define “social problems” as barriers to human flourishing and causes of human suffering. Our mechanism for achieving this change is equipping individuals and organizations with social impact skills and tools, including those derived from a faith perspective.

Salt Lake City International Airport | Salt Lake City International Airport 

Provo Airport

Please fill out the flight information collection survey (linked at the top of this page). We will be putting together a shuttle schedule to make sure we can get everybody here in a timely manner.  In general, if you are arriving in Salt Lake, a car will pick you up 20-45 minutes after your flight lands (that airport can be a hike to baggage claim/pick up right now!) and will drop you off 90-120 minutes before your flight departs. You will have the shuttle driver’s phone number to convey any delays.

For those of you driving yourselves, or renting cars, we’d encourage you to use this map and these directions to the parking lot - where we can coach you into the right lodge. 

If you are coming from Provo, which also has an airport, here are directions.

The agenda will shift slightly each day to focus on the different areas of social impact (faith-based, campus directors, and business). Basic agendas will be available to peruse beforehand here!

Yes! Please fill out this waiver as soon as you can! Please put "Ballard Center" in the conference group field.

Even though this will be held in the mountains of Utah, you will not be “roughing it”.  We will be in the same lodge for housing and meeting space, so you won’t get lost. Each of you will have a private room - with a queen bed, a desk, a private shower/bathroom, ect. All linens (sheets, towels, blankets, etc.) will be provided. Here is a link to the website if you would like to snoop around further: BYU's Aspen Grove. 

All housing, food, and space will be provided at Aspen Grove by the Ballard Center for Social Impact. We have planned according to the dietary needs and preferences expressed in the survey – if you have any additional requests, please email Jill and we’ll to our best to accommodate. 

It’s a fascinating thing for us locals to go up to Park City, during the famous Sundance Film Festival, and see a population that has entirely outfitted themselves for a deep winter experience - if only for a weekend. This is beautifully titled: “Puffer Chic.” You are welcome to do that - that is, buy substantial coats and boots for what you anticipate will be harrowing survivalist weather, but then just mostly look good.

Our guess right now is that it will lightly snow (we just got our first dusting on Sunday!), but it will be chilly (Highs around 35 °F, lows around 10°F). This is the kind of weather (and beautiful environment) that you take walks in to get sharp clarity of mind! Your layers will quickly let you know how long that walk might last because you’re cold or you overheat.

Note: Utah has very low humidity, which means the cold is not as biting as the temperatures indicate. 

Recommended:

• A layering mentality

• Exercise clothes for optional hikes and yoga classes

• A coat

• Gloves

• Something fashionable to trap in the 7-10% of heat you lose through your head when outside

• Something to keep your feet warm when outside. (Unfortunately, this space for information on the internet has been entirely co-opted by commercialized sock promotion, not science. You know your feet - plan accordingly.) 

• Exercise clothes for a light walk or yoga (if desired)

• Shampoo, Conditioner, and other toiletry essentials

• We will have a few umbrellas available, so no need to bring those

Probably.

We’ve kept the groups small and we’re building in time for you to escape to corners or your room or outside to process in the way you see fit.

We will also be offering a few activities after all is said and done, like glazing pottery on Wednesday night and ax throwing right in the middle of things on Thursday, along with morning walks/hikes that will give the standard introvert recovery time. 

Yes. You always do!

A somewhat well-known tenet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is abstinence from coffee, alcohol, and tobacco. While the lodging is alcohol, drug, and tobacco-free, we will not be creating a stark barren coffee desert. It will be available and we’re trying to make sure it’s good!

It will strengthen your connection to the world!

...But, if what you mean is will you have wireless? You will. And it’s good - we checked.

You absolutuely should! Utah is home to the greatest snow on earth (as long as we have it). The timing of when you're here doesn't lend itself to the best snow, but usually that is made up for by the manufacture of snow. I don't get it, but last year's participant Lianne Yang is coming again this year. And you can ask her all about her day on the slopes.

Here is the Ski Utah website which has all the essential information for skiing at any resort in Utah! But, we are literally staying minutes from Sundance Ski resort and their opening day is December 5th! They offer night skiing on Fridays and Saturdays so if this degree of danger and adventure calls to you, feel free to hit the slopes! We will help get you there, especially if you are enduring a middle aged crisis and this is your shot.

The dress code for the convenings is business casual, with an emphasis on casual. Functional first! Those of you wondering about "mountain casual", we offer this insightful article and encourage you to consider it more deeply for your next wedding. What the Heck is "Mountain Casual" and Other Wedding Dress Codes