Reflections of Gratitude

by Madison Chadwick Thomas

Every organization has trials and tribulations, and Chicago Voyagers is certainly not immune. But at the end of the year, when our lives tend to both speed up and slow down, it is so easy to look back at the year and feel overwhelming gratitude.

This year kicked off with opening our new facility to the public. We welcomed new friends to our staff and to our board. We celebrated enormous milestones, such as completing our 100,000th program hour since our founding in 2008. Through over twenty partnerships we served hundreds of Voyagers, guiding them through trails, water, rock formations, and their own personal hurdles. 

In the year ahead we will continue our growth with the launch of seven new Voyage programs with North Chicago High School, made possible by our friends at the Steans Family Foundation. Each of these programs will include eight young people who will join the program while they are in middle school and continue until their graduation from high school. This will give the participants a chance to continually build and test the skills they utilize both outdoors and in their real lives.

As you can see, 2022 was a great year and has set Chicago Voyagers up for an even better 2023. What else could we be except grateful?

Thank you to the CV team, partners, donors, and participants who make all of this possible. We wish you a peaceful, hopeful new year. Remember to practice mindfulness, make time for yourself and as always, get outside.

Embracing Failure

By Madison Chadwick Thomas, guest contributor

I have not failed.  I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.

– Thomas Edison 

Think about the last time you failed at something. 

How did it make you feel? For many, trying something new and failing can leave us feeling embarrassed. Defeated. Unmotivated to try and figure it out.

For most of our lives, we’ve erred on the side of hiding our failures. But why does failure get such a bad rap? It is an inevitable event in everyone’s lives, and being able to embrace it is key to problem solving and learning. Chicago Voyagers not only embraces it, we’re teaching our young adventurers how to do it right.

Creating a Supportive Environment to Fail

 When kids haven’t been given a comfortable environment to fail, this can often lead to fear and anxiety about trying new things. As adults, our instinct so often is to rush in and help when a child is having trouble with something. But what happens when we give them a little time and space to figure it out on their own?

“As parents, educators, and role models, we are not meeting our obligations to trainees unless we instruct them on the importance of failure, how to react to it, and most importantly, how to learn from it. Failure is imperative for developing the tenacity and self-control necessary to interact effectively with our complex environment,” said Joseph Loscalzo, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

At Chicago Voyagers, we want our kids to feel safe—to know that they are protected, but also that they can try new things with the only expectation being that they do try. We take the time to create a friendly, safe environment through activities that build connection so that we can be cheerleaders for each other instead of strangers.  

There is freedom waiting for you, 

on the breezes of the sky.

And you ask, “What if I fall?”

Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?

-Erin Hanson

Reflecting on What Went Wrong

 “I suck at that.” 

…it isn’t the most gracious way for someone to point out they have failed at something, but it is something we’ve heard many times at Chicago Voyagers. Like many people, these kids come from neighborhoods that aren’t full of hills, mountains, or bodies of water—so why do they feel discouraged at the idea that they wouldn’t be good at hiking, camping, or sailing if it isn’t something they’ve grown up doing? We aim to put that into perspective for them; it isn’t a big deal if they don’t get something right the first, fifth, or tenth time. What matters is they try, and that they take away something from each failure.

Reflection is a huge part of Chicago Voyagers programming, and we want our kids to have fun while also creating teachable moments. We discuss with them when something goes wrong and help them think about what they might do differently next time. Taking the time to put things into perspective eases the “pain” of failure.

By creating a supportive, safe environment for our Voyagers to problem solve, it is our hope that they leave their adventures more confident in themselves. We do not measure their success by how well they performed any of the activities, but by their determination to try and their ability to reflect on their experience.

Chicago Voyagers Abroad: The Antarctica Expedition of Sherry Xue

by Catherine Henderson-Ruff

“When I stood out and watched the first sunset in Antarctica, I felt more present than ever with neither internet nor car noises. It was a simple yet intricate first encounter.” 

- Sherry Xue

In March, Chicago Voyagers showed our support of Northwestern student Sherry Xue’s Antarctica expedition by equipping her with some of our awesome gear. Sherry was one of an elite few selected by the 2041 Foundation to join the 2041 ClimateForce Antarctic Expedition in 2022.⁠ 

The Expedition

⁠Through lectures, shore landings, hikes, group discussions, workshops, and more, the Expedition trained participants on up-to-date climate science, sustainability, and leadership skills while equipping them with the tools to create meaningful impacts in their communities, institutions, companies, and governments to benefit this planet that we all call home.⁠

Sherry was one of 170 participants from 30+ nations who were nominated for this opportunity: a ‘carbon-negative’ expedition designed to inspire, develop, and train the next generation of leaders to promote a more sustainable future.  

Why 2041?

The 2041 Foundation was founded by renowned polar explorer and sustainability leader Robert Swan O.B.E. 

Swan was the first person to walk to both the North and South Poles. He has dedicated his life to the preservation of Antarctica through the promotion of recycling, renewable energy and sustainability to combat the effects of climate change.

The Antarctic Treaty, signed in 1959, declared Antarctica to be a demilitarized zone. The treaty preserves Antarctica as a natural reserve, devoted to scientific research and environmental preservation. 

Unfortunately, in 2041, the treaty allows for a new decision to be made about Antarctica. If the Antarctic Treaty isn’t renewed, there could be a renegotiation of the moratorium on mining in Antarctica, which could be absolutely devastating for the continent. 

Antarctica is a critical bastion when it comes to climate change, deflecting the sun’s rays away from the Earth and keeping temperatures liveable. Even small amounts of melting of the ice sheets raises global sea levels, which causes global flooding.

Why Chicago Voyagers Loves This

“I’ve known for a while that life really is about the relationships we build. But for some reason, I didn’t expect that philosophy to extend to a place as distant as Antarctica.”

- Sherry Xue

Sherry’s experience in her expedition with the 2041 Foundation is in the same spirit that we host Journeys and Adventures that we host here at Chicago Voyagers. 

By building relationships between youth, and helping to build their relationships with our environment, we foster a unique climate of mental health and environmental stewardship that allows program participants to truly find peace and self-actualization in nature. 

We believe that experiential learning is invaluable to one’s life experience, and that communing with nature through expeditions like Sherry's benefits both the individual and our environment. This is especially true as we consider how to move forward with significant global health issues like climate change, an issue that is all too real in summer 2022. 

Learn More

Sherry wrote a beautiful article about her experience, and you can read more about her amazing journey through her own words here: What I learned in Antarctica by Sherry Xue. 

We are so glad to have been a small part of Sherry’s journey as a young leader creating a more sustainable future, and we are so looking forward to seeing what she does next! 

Congratulations again from the Chicago Voyagers team, Sherry!

September 21, 2022

Embracing Failure

By Madison Chadwick Thomas, guest contributor

Adventure Challenge: Dive Into What We Do

By Catherine Henderson Ruff, guest contributor

Our biggest event of the year, and the best way to get an immersive, interactive experience of what we do at Chicago Voyagers. 

We’ve designed our 2022 Adventure Challenge to be a truly unique event, reflective of our innovative programs. We want to give you the opportunity to get a snapshot into the experiences of the youth that we serve, and how satisfying it is to overcome obstacles as a team.  

The Adventure Challenge outdoor adventure obstacle race is a “light” version of our programs: providing opportunities to problem solve, build communication and leadership, all while participating in fun, outdoor activities

Grappling with challenges is a major driver of social-emotional learning. Necessity is the mother of invention, and presenting challenges that allow individuals to invent their own solutions to cope with the issue at hand greatly impacts positive self-esteem and self-affirmations. With most things in life, teamwork is an effective way to overcome major obstacles, which is why we design the Adventure Challenge to be completed in pairs.

Our program model at Chicago Voyagers utilizes the theories of psychologist Lev Vygostky, who believed that the environment in which children grow up and interact in greatly influences how they think, how they feel about themselves and what they think about. The successes seen from our work illustrate how true that is, and is especially pertinent when considering youth who have experienced trauma and adversity. 

Ecotherapy-related techniques like the ones we use at Chicago Voyagers have been shown to be effective in treating medical disorders throughout the lifespan, like hypertension, obesity, post-surgical recovery and psychosocial conditions like depression, stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention deficit hyperkinetic disorder (ADHD) and adjustment disorders. The positive outcomes from our programs also illustrate how the combination of ecotherapy and supportive environment helps youth to grow and thrive. 

The Chicago Voyagers team greatly values the opportunity to share our mission and vision with the broader community in such a tangible way through the Adventure Challenge. It truly is a chance to experience what we do all year round: together, we will celebrate overcoming obstacles, have some friendly competition on who will be the fastest racers and most creative team, relax with canoe rides as we take in the great outdoors, and share a delicious meal together before the day wraps up. 

The 2022 Adventure Challenge is just a few short months away- and we can’t wait to see you there! Click here to learn more, buy tickets and check out our sponsorship opportunities. 

Journey Into: The Benefits of the Outdoors

By Madison Chadwick Thomas, guest contributor  

Screen time overload. Safety fears. No close access to outdoor recreation areas. 

There are several reasons we can point to as to why young people seemingly aren’t going outside as much as generations before.  

Richard Louv, an author who frequently cites research on the effects of the outdoors on humans, coined the term “nature-deficit disorder.” While it is not a medical diagnosis, it is a useful term to describe what many believe are the costs of alienation from nature: a diminished use of the senses, attention difficulties, higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses, a rising rate of nearsightedness, child and adult obesity, Vitamin D deficiency, and other afflictions (Berkeley). 

Experiences in the natural world offer great benefits to our health and the ability to learn, for children and adults. Many people don’t know what they’re missing, but it is never too late to start getting outside. 

Benefits of the Outdoors 

1)    Physical health benefits – Young people should be active for an hour every day, and outdoor play can be the best bet. But additional benefits include safe sun exposure, which helps many body processes and promotes healthy sleep.  

2)    Mental health benefits - Being outdoors can improve your mood and reduce anxiety. “We are physically wired to respond to being outdoors,” says Deborah Gilboa, M.D., a Pittsburgh area physician and parenting expert specializing in resilience. “Being outdoors causes us to take slower, deeper breaths and to take more in visually. We are much more likely to look up and look around when we are outside.” Nature also provides sensory and intellectual stimulation that can enhance concentration, creativity and performance inside and outside the classroom (Tony Bakerink, MD). 

3)    Building confidence and courage – Youth need to learn to take healthy risks, which can lead to a more confidence and courage to face the curveballs life throws at them. How will they know what they are capable of if they aren’t prepared to try new things? Chicago Voyagers’ program model utilizes the Growth Zone, based on the work of psychologist Lev Vygostky, to help youth identify where they may need more support and where they are ready for a new challenge. The outdoors is a great place to practice the skill of pushing past their comfort zone! 

4)    Appreciation of Nature – The feeling of dirty hands when potting a new plant. The curiosity of choosing a path on a trail and finding where it leads. The discovery of beautiful underwater worlds. The gift of breathtaking views after scaling the highest of heights. These are all treasures that need to be protected, and those who spend time outdoors are more likely to appreciate Earth and take care of it. We only have one. 

Chicago Voyagers Use of Outdoor Therapy to Heal 

Chicago Voyagers has decades of experience in combining power of the outdoors with scientifically backed therapeutic interventions to support youth in overcoming adverse childhood experiences. Our unique outdoor adventure therapy programming boosts growth and healing. CV helps expose youth to the natural world around them, expanding their understanding of what is possible. We also provide the support and guidance needed to help them understand and cultivate personal responsibility, self-empowerment, and belief in their ability to achieve and overcome challenges. 

To see a list of CV’s outdoor youth programming, visit Our Programs. 

CV Youth Shawn Carter Accepts Big Heart Award

Every year at our annual Adventure Challenge unGALA, we honor a young person who has shown incredible courage, resilience, and heart. This year, we proudly celebrated Shawn Carter. Below is a transcript of Shawn’s acceptance speech.

Hi, my name is Shawn Carter. I am 16 years old and I’m from the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago. Other than the violence, it’s a good place to live.

At home my 2 younger brothers come to me and ask me questions and sometimes they just come and talk to me about anything. I have 8 siblings overall, and I help them when they need it. The main thing that I help them with is homework or if they need fixing things. This past year and a half really brought me closer to my family. My relationship with the people in my home is strong and could always get stronger. 

Before joining Chicago Voyagers, I spent some time outside but not as much as other teenagers go out because the area I’ve grown up in and how bad the violence is. My experience with Chicago voyagers has been a ride! At first, I missed like the first 2 or 3 programs because my aunt is a nurse so we had to stay home and safe because of the pandemic. But when I came to the hiking program, I got to know all the programs leaders, and I had a really good time with them. I especially like getting to go white water canoeing. I wish that I had more programs with them. 

The best time I had with Chicago Voyagers was on the camping trip to Turtle Flambeau, Wisconsin. There were so many moments that were fun but the main one is when we were playing bucket ball. It was fun because we were all trying to score a little ball into a small bag. It was also funny trying to see all the small people trying to score over the tall people, me.

During that trip, I was asked to be leader of the day. At first, I didn’t want to because I felt like I was going to fail and I was going to do a bad job, but the program leaders helped me get through it by talking me through it and helping me along the way. It was an experience I will forever be grateful for. 

I just want to say thank you to the people that made it all possible for these experiences to happen. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE BIG HEART AWARD!! 

Journey Into: The Power of New Places

by Zelda Mayer, guest contributor

In our programs, 100% of youth will be taken outside of their neighborhood and introduced to a new environment. This is how new places create new possibilities. 

Chicago Voyagers helps expose more than 400 youth per year to the natural world around them, expanding their understanding of what is possible. Our relationship-based outdoor adventure programming is based on a foundational principle of experiential learning. We do this by giving young people the opportunity to experience new environments coupled with new skills and activities. 

How Isolation Hurts

Although Chicago is the 7th most diverse city in the United States, it is also one of the most segregated. Unfortunately, Chicago has developed a reputation for gun violence and racial disparities in health, including the now-infamous “Death Gap” — a 30-year difference in life expectancy between the majority Black neighborhood of Englewood and the majority white neighborhood of Streeterville. We see the segregation of resources in our city everywhere from quality of education to access to jobs; in 2016, 700,000 jobs were located within a 30-minute commute on public transit from the Loop and North Side, compared to just 50,000 jobs located within 30 minute from the South Side (Great Cities Institute 2017). The consequences are dire for young people; years of structural racism and disinvestment have created an urban environment where many youth are given more access to guns than resources for growth. 

Segregation of resources can also be seen in access to green spaces (which, as we discussed in our last blog, is incredibly healing and serves as a protective factor against traumatic stress). In Illinois, 21% of white people live in nature deprived areas, while 77% of people of color live in nature deprived areas (Center for American Progress, 2020). Coming predominantly from Chicago’s underinvested, high-need communities such as Englewood, Belmont-Cragin, North Lawndale, Little Village, and suburbs such as Addison and Cicero, the youth we serve are challenged by physical, cultural, communication, and socioeconomic barriers. Our youth often do not have the opportunity to explore the world beyond the confines of their concrete neighborhoods – to get out into nature – the perfect place to be active, learn readily transferable lessons, and develop critical life skills such as teamwork, empowerment, and responsible behavior. 

As we have seen acutely during the pandemic, the negative effects of social isolation on mental health can be devastating. “Social isolation seems to influence the predisposition, onset, and outcome of PTSD” (Vlachos et. al. 2020), meaning that social support and trauma are almost inextricably linked. Inadequate access to resources compounds these traumas and sends a powerful and isolating message to youth: that their lives do not matter. 

Why Exposure Matters

Novelty and new experiences are important to adolescent development and fostering critical skills. In his book Exposure is Key: Solving Violence By Exposing Teens to Opportunities, Jahmal Cole — activist and founder of My Block My Hood My City — discusses the crucial role that new experiences can have on teens’ development and life outcomes:

“Millions of dollars are spent on preventative healthcare. There are mammograms to screen for breast cancer and colonoscopy screens for colon cancer. I think millions of dollars need to be spent on exposure. When you expose kids to more options and opportunities, it reduces their inclination toward violence, giving them the ability to make their own decisions and regulate their behavior.”

In Chicago Voyagers’ own work and experience, we have seen that exposure to new places is critical to instilling a sense of hope and possibility. 100% of our youth participants are exposed to new environments through our outdoor adventure programs. Chicago Voyagers makes this possible by committing to removing barriers to participation in nature, including the financial resources necessary to participate in activities such as sailing or kayaking. Everything—including clothing and equipment—is provided at no cost to the teens. 

Novelty and exposure is especially important for young people due to the physiology of brain development (Smithsonian Magazine 2017). The adolescent brain is especially plastic and responsive to new experiences, and teenagers are biologically primed to explore and seek out new experiences as their brains increase in complexity. As the saying goes, the “neurons that fire together, wire together,” so good novel experiences can deeply impact young people during this heightened period of learning and neuroplasticity. 

Outdoor adventure therapy creates an opportunity not only for exposure to a new physical environment, but also provides a form of controlled risk that supports brain development. Our outdoor programming includes carefully crafted physical and emotional challenges designed to enhance self-esteem and build self-sufficiency, and each contains basic elements, including journals, discussion topics, and experiential activities. Mentorship is a key component we utilize in outdoor adventures, providing an experienced guide (program leader) and trained volunteers to support youth in stepping outside their comfort zones and entering a new environment. By giving young people the opportunities to experience the outdoors and the skills needed to navigate challenges successfully, we help expand their understanding of what is possible. Our model works: based on post-surveys of youth served, 92% showed an increase in responsibility, 94% showed an increase in confidence, and 92% showed an increase in teamwork.

What You Can Do

• Donate: All our programs are completely free for participants, including transportation, nutritious meals, and all the gear needed for their journeys. 

• Volunteer: Mentorship is key to our model. Youth with mentors in their lives are 46% less likely to use drugs, 27% less likely to abuse alcohol, and 52% less likely to skip school according to a research project by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Whether helping guide youth on their journey or supporting our mission behind-the-scenes, all skill levels and experiences are welcome. 

• Learn more: You can learn even more about the issue of inaccessibility of the outdoors and our approach in our September 2020 blog post Youth Outdoors.  

• Join our mailing list to stay informed about our programming and impact.

Journey Into: Trauma Healing

by Zelda Mayer, guest contributor

Adventure therapy programs in nature, such as those of Chicago Voyagers, play a key role in trauma recovery. Here’s why.

Childhood trauma can have a lasting emotional and physical toll — all the way into adulthood. According to the CDC, at least 5 of the top 10 leading causes of death are associated with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), such as lack of familial support, abuse, high rates of community violence, and poverty. Chicago Voyagers specifically targets Chicago youth likely to experience numerous ACEs and provides outdoor adventure programming to help young people develop the tools needed for a successful life. Each of our programs uses a multi-faceted, neuroscience-based approach to prevent or diminish the impact of ACEs.

How Trauma Works

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a direct result of a stressful event that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope, but not all stressful events result in PTSD. The key factor of trauma is how overwhelmed the nervous system becomes from an experience; trauma is characterized by an automatic reaction of the nervous system that gets “stuck” in the body. The stress reaction functions to keep our bodies safe when we are in danger. Though this genius mechanism of our brain and body keeps us alive, being stuck in a permanent “flight/flee/freeze” state makes our bodies work in overdrive. Living in a traumatized body has detrimental effects for a person, their families, and their communities.

The brain has the quality of plasticity, meaning that experiences can change it and help it develop new neural pathways or strengthen existing ones. This a miraculous mechanism for resiliency of our brain. Trauma does not make us “damaged”; we can heal, mentally and biologically.

How Nature Heals

The evidence behind nonmedical nature-based interventions is quickly growing, and we continue to learn more about the science behind innovative strategies, such as Chicago Voyagers’. Youth receive many healing benefits from nature, including:

1. Increased sense of agency: Traumatic events are often characterized by a sense of helplessness, and traumatized individuals may experience an altered sense of agency, or “the conscious experience of the body as one's own and under voluntary control” (Rabellino et al 2018). In a 2014 study, adolescents who participated in wilderness therapy showed significant cognitive benefits, particularly in decision-making abilities, self-efficacy, and cognitive autonomy. Chicago Voyagers has found similar results in our work; based on post-surveys of the youth we served in 2019, 91% developed confidence, 91% developed teamwork skills, and 89% improved in responsibility.

2. Improved mood: Time spent in nature has been linked to overall improvements in mood. Nature-based activities have a soothing effect on the body, lowering blood pressure and cortisol levels, a stress hormone associated with the fight/flight/freeze state. In a comparison of physical activity in urban vs. natural environments, nature walks had a greater effect on prefrontal cortex activity associated with negative moods (Harvard Health Publishing 2021).

3. Healthy embodiment: Healthy embodiment, or mindfulness, is the ability to be present with sensations in one’s body and is critical to self-regulation and is part of mindfulness, which is a key component of our program model. Trauma “compromises the brain area that communicates the physical, embodied feeling of being alive” (Van Der Kolk 2014), which can lead to riskier behaviors, self-harm, and violence. Nature activities provide physical movement in a more relaxed state and setting, which reinforces the experience of being present and can make verbal processing of trauma experiences more accessible and effective (Schwenk 2019).

4. Bolstered joy: Fascination — effortless concentration and enjoyment — experienced in natural environments restores attention and reduces symptoms of traumatic stress (Matise and Price-Howard 2020). These effects last beyond the experience itself; in a 2018 study that included at-risk youth in a white-water rafting trip, researchers found that a sense of awe experienced by participants predicted changes in well-being and stress-related symptoms one week later.

Why It Matters

Left unaddressed, trauma can have dangerous side effects. ACEs are statistically linked to risky behaviors like substance abuse, chronic health conditions, and early death. Failing to intervene leads to long-term consequences that tear at the fabric of our society. The average cost of imprisoning someone for a year is $31,000; and in the United States, prescription opioid misuse alone costs approximately $78.5 billion per year. The opportunity costs of failing to prevent these issues are huge. These are dollars that could be invested in our communities. By intervening early, we help avoid these damaging effects, giving young people the resources, skills, and leadership development needed for a healthy life.

What You Can Do

1. Donate: A donation of $55 can sponsor one teen for a day! All our programs are completely free for participants, including transportation, nutritious meals, and all the gear needed for their journeys.

2. Volunteer: Mentorship is key to our model. Youth with mentors in their lives are 46% less likely to use drugs, 27% less likely to abuse alcohol, and 52% less likely to skip school according to a research project by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Whether helping guide youth on their journey or supporting our mission behind-the-scenes, all skill levels and experiences are welcome.

3. Join our mailing list to stay informed about our programming and impact.

Seize the Wind: The Benefits of Sailing and the Outdoors

by Tara Ebrahimi, guest contributor

“It’s remarkable how quickly a good and favorable wind can sweep away the maddening frustrations of shore living.”

— Ernest K. Gann

Youth are spending more and more time indoors in front of screens with less opportunity to get outside and experience the natural world. According to a survey released by Common Sense Media, “On average, American 8-to-12-year-olds spent 4 hours and 44 minutes on screen media each day. And teens average 7 hours and 22 minutes — not including time spent using screens for school or homework” (Washington Post, October 2019). Extended screen time has been linked with various negative health effects. “Studies have shown that excessive media use can lead to attention problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders, and obesity. In addition, the Internet and cell phones can provide platforms for illicit and risky behaviors” (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2020). As screen time becomes more and more prevalent in the lives of teens, outdoor experiential activities have become even more important in helping them learn new skills, improve their physical and mental health, and gain a love of nature.

Research shows that there are many benefits to being outside, including physical and mental health, deeper engagement in learning and critical thinking, and increased positive behavior and impulse control (“Getting Children & Teens Outside While Physical Distancing for COVID-19,” Healthy Children, September 2020). One outdoor experiential activity that provides significant benefits to youth is sailing. Sailing improves physical and mental health, helps teens develop leadership and teamwork skills, and instills an appreciation for the natural world and environmentalism. 

Other benefits to sailing include:

1. Youth learn responsibility. Learning how to sail can be challenging and requires focus, attention to detail, decision-making, and determination. All of these skills result in a deeper sense of responsibility when youth are at the helm of a sailboat, helping to navigate and steer.

2. Youth engage in teamwork. Sailing requires trust and support among those on the boat. Teens have to work together to ensure all of the components of the sailboat are working in harmony. They have to use effective communication skills to both express what needs to be done and also to listen to their teammates. This builds closer relationships and a sense of unity as everyone works toward a common goal.  

3. Youth recognize the importance of the natural world. As teens spend time on the water, they will not only gain an appreciation for nature, but may perhaps even understand the importance of environmentalism as they become protective over the waters they are sailing. 

4. Youth learn through discovery. Sailing teaches life skills through self-discovery, which is a different educational tool than what is used in school and can be an effective method for non-traditional learners. Additionally, sailing creates a sense of adventure which combines curiosity with boldness, bravery, and healthy risk-taking. These qualities enable youth to feel more comfortable facing new challenges. 

5. Youth gain leadership skills and confidence. Sailors are tasked with safely steering the boat, taking command of everything happening around them. This leads to increased confidence and perseverance, qualities which help youth overcome obstacles. 

With Chicago Voyagers’ recent acquisition of Carpe Ventus, the organization has tripled the size of its sailing program, newly dubbed the Carpe Ventus Sailing Program. This expanded capacity includes additional sailboats, access to Carpe Ventus’ organizational partners, new volunteers with sailing expertise, and Carpe Ventus founder David Foster, who has joined the Chicago Voyagers team as a program leader. 

Carpe Ventus--Latin for seize the wind--partnered with mentoring organizations in Chicago to serve under-resourced youth. Carpe Ventus focused specifically on the areas of poverty alleviation, violence prevention, and community development. Through sailing, Carpe Ventus gave youth access to the outdoors and the chance to learn new skills, build healthy relationships, and engage in positive risk-taking. With Chicago Voyagers’ integration of Carpe Ventus into its programming, youth will gain the many benefits of learning to sail.

Sources:

“The Benefits of Sailing for Kids,” American Sailing Association

“Top 15 Benefits of Sailing,” Learn to Sail

Youth Outdoors

by Tara Mahadevan, guest contributor

The outdoors industry certainly isn’t known for its inclusivity.

In fact, Black people, people of color, and other marginalized identities have been historically silenced in outdoor spaces due to lack of accessibility to nature, representation in the industry, and visibility in media. When we take our youth into the wilderness, they are generally the only people of color present.

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Studies show that neighborhoods divested of nature can have repercussions on the health and happiness of Black people and people of color. A new report from the Center for American Progress and Hispanic Access Foundation shows that in America, communities of color are almost three times more likely than white communities to live in “nature deprived” areas, with little or no access to parks and green spaces.

This lack of access is especially disheartening when considering how beneficial it can be to Black youth and youth of color specifically, as it provides an organic setting where they’re inspired to explore and challenge themselves. Exposure to the outdoors also encourages environmental awareness and personal empowerment, and allows these young people to equitably reconnect with nature. Through nature, marginalized youth can find consistency and stability while continuing to build skill sets and community in a new space.

Chicago Voyagers recognizes the ways in which nature and the outdoors create healing possibilities. That’s why we include it in our multidisciplinary approach to youth services that focuses on behavioral health, physical health, and education. Through our various outdoor programs—including cycling, canoeing, hiking, cross country skiing, and rock climbing—we’ve found that our participants have steadily reported a boost in confidence, communication and teamwork skills, and personal responsibility. They also show an increase in GPA and a decrease in in-school disciplinary actions.

For us, outdoor adventure programs are a way to introduce and utilize best practices from the fields of neuroscience, social work, and clinical psychology. We see the outdoors as a path toward healing and recovery for youth who have experienced and continue to face enormous challenges. Our four-layered program model of Mindfulness, Relationships, Growth Zones, and Experiential Learning focuses on restorative justice and trauma-informed care. We are devoted to rebuilding community and cultivating relationships, and believe that to best do this, we must work to unpack root causes of trauma.

Each year, our organization serves over 400 at-risk youth. Ninety percent of those we serve are low income and 88% are youth of color. A majority of those we serve have experienced trauma. Our work, by recognizing and utilizing the healing and teaching opportunities the outdoors provides, offers youth the skills and resources needed to manage and overcome trauma while also introducing them to outdoor spaces. In doing so, Chicago Voyagers plays a key role in diversifying the outdoors while also helping kids reimagine what is possible for themselves and those who look like them.