ROANOKE, Va. – The Wild Way is an organization that seeks to build girls’ confidence by getting them outdoors and stepping out of their comfort zones. They use an inclusive approach to help girls do things they never thought they could do.
This is for girls ages 9 to 14 years old to experience outdoor challenges and push their boundaries and embrace the outdoors in a friendly environment.
They take them rock climbing, kayaking, canoeing, hiking, horseback riding, caving and much more. The Wild Way tries to pull in girls who don’t have a lot of outdoor experience or girls who have barriers in participating in outdoor recreation.
“With the Wild Way, I am trying to create a comfortable environment where girls feel like they are empowered to try new things,” said Alex Siple, the executive director. “Maybe try things they are not sure they are going to be good at, but push themselves and in the end they can feel proud that they pushed their boundaries and that they learned something new and they can carry that confidence over in to other areas of their life.”
They offer spring break programs that run on two different weeks. They overlap with Roanoke County and Salem public schools’ spring breaks and Roanoke City spring break. During these weeks, girls can go hiking, caving, tackle the ropes course at Camp Bethel, and learn outdoor skills at Wilderness Adventure at Eagle Landing.
“I want to give girls the opportunity to experience these new and interesting things. Maybe explore different parts of their personality, different parts of their interests and become more well-rounded,” said Siple.
The Wild Way would love to help as many girls as they can, but they need help from the community. They are always looking for donations. This can be a monetary donation, an equipment donation or donating your time.