Why get girls outside?
The Research
A survey of more than 1,300 girls found that between the ages of 8 and 14, girls’ confidence levels fall by 30%--at age 14, when girls are hitting their lowest level of confidence, boys’ confidence is still 27% higher. Why is this?
As girls reach puberty and their emotional intelligence grows, they begin to pick up on societal signals that tell them that in order to be a “good girl” and succeed, they need to be careful, avoid risks, and, perhaps most damaging, value perfection above all else. These pressures are often reinforced by society, social media, peers, and even parents (1).
What can do to fight this drop in confidence?
Action!
The outdoors is the perfect environment for this type of learning. Societal and behavioral expectations, self-consciousness, and lack of experience often lead women to feeling out of place in the outdoors. However, research has found that positive outdoor experiences can dramatically increase self-esteem, confidence, and perceived leadership abilities among women (2).
Our Approach
To measure our program’s impact, we will track positive changes in girls’ attitudes, behavior, and knowledge over the course of the program—specifically growth in confidence, mental wellness, and resiliency. For more information on our approach and impact, please contact us at info@thewildway.org.
(1) Kay, Katherine and Claire Shipman. Confidence Code for Girls: Taking Risks, Messing Up, and Becoming Your Amazingly Imperfect, Totally Powerful Self. HarperCollins Publishers, 2018.
(2) Kovach, J.S. “Outdoor Recreation Increases Self-Confidence in Women.” The Journal of Student Leadership, [S.l.], v. 3, n. 1, p. 27-35, August 2019. ISSN 2575-727X. Available at: <https://journals.uvu.edu/index.php/jsl/article/view/342>. Date accessed: 08 August 2021.
Thank you to our sponsors and partners!
