Mission. Vision. Values.
Mission
GirlVentures inspires girls and gender expansive youth to lead through outdoor adventure, inner discovery, and collective action.
The only nonprofit of its kind, GirlVentures combines outdoor adventure with social emotional learning for adolescent youth at a critical time in their lives.
Starting at age 11, our youth follow the GirlVentures’ Leadership Progression Model, building confidence, leadership and life skills as they backpack, hike, kayak and rock climb in the Northern California wilderness. They learn from experiential educators and mentors while gaining knowledge and tools that empower them reach their full potential.
Vision and Values
We envision a world where girls, women, and gender expansive individuals lead inclusive, resilient communities, and where nature is accessible to everyone and conserved for future generations.
GirlVentures is built upon our shared values of inclusion, integrity, empathy, creativity, and community. We are dedicated to practicing radical inclusion. This means we make our programs as widely accessible as possible and adopt organizational practices that actively promote inclusion, cultural humility, and more equitable distribution of resources.
Learn more about GirlVentures’ commitment to inclusion and diversity in programming, organizational culture and more.
Programs
GirlVentures’ programs explore identity, social justice, leadership, health, and the environment. Our unique curriculum nurtures girls and gender expansive youths self-esteem and resilience as they develop into empathetic, confident conservationists and allies. These shared, life-changing experiences enable young people to find strength from one another and within themselves. They gain the skills needed to face the challenges of adolescence. Explore all of GirlVentures’ transformative program offerings.
To ensure that youth from all communities can access our programs, GirlVentures utilizes a sliding scale fee structure. We also provide all gear, food, and transportation free of cost. See our Payment Policy for further details.
Impact
GirlVentures' programs provide a catalyst for positive personal change. Five-year averages from our post-course surveys of participants demonstrate that:
93% believe they can now be leaders
93% are more confident to be themselves regardless of what others think
92% believe their bodies can do more than they initially believed
92% feel more confident to try activities that some people think girls can’t or shouldn’t do
92% are more likely to say what they really think or feel
92% understand how to take better care of the environment
91% are more likely to be physically active in the future
91% are more likely to make friends with other youth that are different than themselves
89% are more able to appreciate being outdoors
Learn more about how GirlVentures empowers young people in our 2018 Impact Report.
“I’m currently in college and graduating this semester with a BA in Communication Design and a minor in Psychology. 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.”