Crossfire Outdoor Adventure Program - Youth Services - Brief Article

Crossfire Youth Center is a rescue station for at-risk and underprivileged teens. According to Maria Sadowsky, the center's director, a majority of the youth come from broken homes or are struggling with drug/alcohol abuse, neglect, gang involvement and self-mutilation. Sadowsky created the Crossfire Outdoor Adventure Program in the spring of 2002 as part of her graduate work in the Department of Recreation Management and Therapeutic Recreation at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

Crossfire Outdoor Adventure Program's goal is to provide a positive learning environment for youth at risk--in this case, females--while introducing them to outdoor adventure and its benefits. The main purpose of the program is to increase the self-concept of the participants. A unique component is the step-by-step process of outdoor adventures and life skills. The program includes before and after measurements of self-esteem and a ropes course following the stages of adventure (which is an acquaintance activities that includes ice breakers, communication, problem solving and trust).

The results? While the effectiveness of the program is currently being interpreted, anecdotal evidence, such as verbal feedback from the co-facilitators, indicates that noticeable improvements have been made in each of the participants. An unanticipated outcome is the girls' desire to continue as a group with outdoor adventure activities, the first of which has just been completed. For more information, contact Sadowsky at sadowsky.marl@ students.uwlax.edu.