Outdoor recreation is the perfect venue for young people to learn about taking risks, dealing with initial failure, and then celebrating the joy of experiencing the process of recovery and then mastery. This process is the ultimate confidence booster for young people.
But surprisingly, while confidence building starts out very similar with both boys and girls, at about eight years old, girls’ confidence levels begin dropping, and this continues through their teen year. A study by Claire Shipman and Katty Kay, the co-authors of the best-selling book “The Confidence Code,” found that girls’ confidence drops by 30% between the ages of 8 and 14.
Our outdoor programs deal with this specifically. We introduce young women to outdoor activities such as whitewater kayaking and rafting, and help them not only master the technique needed to enjoy whitewater, but also include leadership training to help reinforce that confidence.