Challenges Facing
Alexandria's Youth
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In June 2021, the Alexandria Health Department and the Partnership for a Healthier Alexandria released the results of a study prioritizing health needs in the City. The group defined 10 priority areas and, among those, 3 urgent priorities - poverty, housing, and mental health.
A primary strategy to solve the mental health crises is to "expand access to free and low-cost physical activity." At our most basic level, WKA is doing this work by getting kids into nature and instilling in them a passion for hiking, paddling, climbing, and other outdoor activities that will serve their mental and physical health for a lifetime.
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The City also developed a "Children & Youth Master Plan 2025." A key priority of that plan is to build "Developmental Assets," which the CYMP further defines as four items: Support, Empowerment, Constructive Use of Time, and Boundaries & Expectations.
WKA helps build
Developmental Assets
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We build a supportive community of adults and youth who share their skills, knowledge, and wisdom with one another.
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We empower our students with new ideas, new skills, new ways of being in the world, all in the context of a diverse, equitable and inclusive community.
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We create incredibly constructive uses of time. During their WKA outings, students get exercise and fresh air, they get time to unwind and experience quiet, they use time to learn new skills, overcome fears, and rise to challenges. They build friendships and community that are independent of phones, screens, and tech.
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Finally, being outdoors, in community, requires each of us to understand our boundaries and our expectations. We expect students to behave respectfully and safely. Students learn boundaries by learning what is safe and what is unsafe in rock climbing or kayaking, what is appropriate and not in Leave No Trace camping, and what is respectful and what is not in group conversation.
What the Research Says:
Nature's good for us and we don't get enough of it.
The City of Alexandria is not alone in recognizing the value of physical activity for young people and, specifically, the power of time in nature to improve physical and mental health. The Children & Nature Network reports "On average, today’s kids spend up to 44 hours per week in front of a screen, and less than 10 minutes a day playing outdoors. And for too many kids, access to nature is determined by race, income, ability and postal code."
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Here are the findings of just one study among many that support the work that WKA does. The study focused on week long programs and, of course, WKA is offering afternoon programs, day long programs and multi-night summer programs. We hope for and expect similar results:
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Week-long wilderness-based program promotes developmental assets for under-resourced urban youth
"A group of under-resourced urban youth, after participating in a week-long wilderness program, reported significantly improved internal and external assets. The greatest improvements were in the areas of positive identity, use of time, and learning. The positive outcomes persisted over time and applied across gender and race/ethnicity. The program combined nature-based experiences with positive, caring adult relationships."
-Norton & Watt, 2014. Exploring the impact of a wilderness-based positive youth development program for urban youth. Access study.