The 13th annual Rae of Hope Retreat was scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Palm Springs Convention Center. The free event, hosted by the Bianca Rae Foundation, will offer workshops on leadership, mental wellness, and life skills under this year's theme, “The Real Me.”
The retreat is designed to empower youth across the Coachella Valley, and students arrived through partnerships between the foundation and local unified school districts, according to KESQ. The station reported that News Channel 3 spoke with retreat organizers and participants about the event's impact on local youth. Since its founding, the Rae of Hope Retreat has reached more than 7,000 middle schoolers across the valley, per the Bianca Rae Foundation.
From a Small Girls' Workshop to a Regional Event
The retreat looked very different when it began. Launched in September 2014 as a mentorship retreat exclusively for middle school girls, it later expanded to include dedicated programming for middle school boys as well, according to city records reviewed by the City of Coachella. That same October 2022 documentation shows city staff recommended that the City Council consider awarding a $1,000 Community Based Grant to help fund the foundation's retreats for local middle school youth.
Municipal support has been paired with private fundraising over the years. An indiGO Auto Group Drive4Kids event in December 2016 raised $43,750 for the foundation, with the funding described as essential to its mission, according to indiGO Auto Group.
The Founder's Deep Roots in the Desert
Bianca Rae, an Emmy-winning Los Angeles news anchor, spent nearly eight years broadcasting in the Coachella Valley before founding the nonprofit, according to Voyage LA. The outlet reports she earned her broadcast journalism degree from the University of Missouri before moving to Palm Springs, and that she established the 501(c)(3) organization in 2013 after adopting her shelter dog, Jack, structuring it around a dual mission of youth guidance and animal welfare.
Rae's local ties earned her a lasting honor in June 2017, when she was given the 416th star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars, making her the youngest recipient in the attraction's history, according to the Universal Photo Agency. The star sits at 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs.
Programming Extends Beyond the Annual Retreat
The foundation's work isn't limited to a single yearly event. Broadcast journalism centers have also been associated with local middle schools, including a new center at Paige Middle School. Available material does not establish the foundation's involvement, the timing, or the studios' operating schedule.
Local Data Show Why the Retreat Matters
The retreat's focus on mental wellness and anti-bullying workshops reflects concerns about children's well-being and bullying.
Those concerns underscore the importance of addressing bullying in schools. The retreat's middle-school focus reflects attention to student safety and well-being.
Against that backdrop, the 13th annual Rae of Hope Retreat was scheduled for Saturday, September 12, 2026, at the Palm Springs Convention Center, continuing a retreat that started small and now serves Coachella Valley students, offering them a free day built around leadership, resilience, and, as this year's theme puts it, discovering “The Real Me.”
