Since joining GirlVentures over 5 years ago, I have had the pleasure of seeing many girls graduating from our programs and grow into strong individuals.
I love hearing the stories and quotes from our participants.
Latresha said, “GirlVentures has helped me get this far, teaching me that any challenge can be conquered through determination, collaboration and never being afraid to step out of your comfort zone.”
Sara said, “GirlVentures taught me that I can be myself and don’t have to worry about others’ words. Now every time I am nervous, I replay something that I was scared of and yet achieved. GirlVentures is a community that teaches girls to be who they want to be, and to have the courage to do whatever they set their minds to do.”
The stories are incredible.
The girls who participate in GirlVentures don’t just grow as individuals, they also learn to work together as teams, to solve unexpected challenges together, and to lift each other. The programs nurture girls’ self-esteem, resilience, and leadership skills, catalyzing their development as empathetic and confident leaders of today and tomorrow.
I believe that GirlVentures is making a long-lasting impact towards a future where girls and women lead inclusive and resilient communities, and where nature is accessible to everyone for our future generations.
I was a volunteer mentor for GirlVentures' Youth Advisory Board from 2022 - 2023 and instantly fell in love with the impact that this organization has on young girls and gender-expansive youth. In fact, I was so passionate about the mission that I then joined the Board of Directors in 2024.
The types of programs that GirlVentures offers are unique and far less common than they should be.
Learning the skills to not only survive but thrive in the wilderness for an extended period of time (2-14 days), build community, discover new parts of oneself, gain leadership capabilities, take care of each other, and more, are just a few of the outcomes of these trips.
These experiences are vital to supporting this generation in becoming the empathetic, courageous, fearless leaders we need for tomorrow.
If you're reading this and you have young girls or gender expansive youth in the Bay Area, I highly highly recommend considering GirlVentures programming.
I grew up with this nonprofit starting in 1999 and spent many years as a student and a decade working for them. They are a true community building organization serving youth through the outdoors.
I have the best memories of the instructors who are world class educators. I highly recommend this org if you want to volunteer, work for them, or you're considering sending your young person to their programs. They are structure their programs for youth who never touched dirt, through to the strongest rock climbers.
My daughter LOVED Girlventures! She did the rock climbing weekend classes for 2 sessions and would look forward to it all week long. It brought together girls from all over SF which was fun, but the instructors were all so amazing and encouraging. They would give the girls the right amount of push and motivation to go higher or reach for a grab until the girls could do it. The smile of achievement and getting to a point they thought was impossible was just incredible. I highly recommend Girlventures.