Picture this: you’re at your friend’s daughter’s graduation party. Mounted on poster board is photo after photo of her – eating birthday cake, starting kindergarten, putting on her first pair of skis. As you continue to move through time, that little girl cheesin’ on her skis with a death grip on the instructor’s hand transitions into a young woman posing with confidence at the top of a hill.
SheJumps was founded on the idea of gender equity – and we’re starting them early!
SheJumps Wild Skills programs provide experiential outdoor education to girls ages 6-17 across the country. Wild Skills is geared toward building life skills and confidence through exposure to positive female role models, supportive communities, and outdoor activities. In 2023-24, SheJumps served a total of 964 youth across 31 events that spanned a range of industries and activities, including mountain biking, skiing, family adventures, hiking, wilderness skills, nature art, and more.
Junior Wildland Firefighting: Through a partnership with the U.S. Forest Service, SheJumps hosted a Junior Wildland Firefighter day for 36 girls in Central Oregon where participants gained hands-on experience learning about wildland fire safety, ecology, first aid, navigation, and career opportunities.
Junior Ski Patrol: is a one-day educational event for girls ages 8-16 to be introduced to first aid, toboggans, snow science, and avalanche rescue techniques from female patrollers. Since 2017, SheJumps has successfully run Junior Ski Patrol events at over 25 ski areas across the country. This program addresses the gender disparity seen in ski patrolling and enables girls to envision a future career path in this field. During the winter of 2023-24, Junior Ski Patrol events were held at 13 different ski areas, serving a total of 379 youth participants.
Experiencing Nature Through Art: The SheJumps team in Juneau, AK teamed up with four local artists to provide a full-day youth workshop about experiencing nature through art. Arts led stations of art-based sensory experiences and reflective activities in nature with inspired art projects and lessons. This program was made possible by a grant from the City & Borough of Juneau.
The best part: seeing girls learning, having fun, and connecting in an encouraging environment with amazing instruction and support from female mentors.
These moments can spark a lifetime of passion for the outdoors – and remind them that they are capable of anything.
Your support can ensure that more girls have poster boards filled with photos of them lit up from connecting with other girls, nature, and most of all, their self-confidence.
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