01 Jun Round Up: Wild Hearts Idaho Nonprofit Spotlight

Founded in 2016 by Maggie Benedetti, who was working as a mental health counselor and social worker at the time, Wild Hearts Idaho provides outdoor adventure opportunities for girls ages 12 to 18. After years working with young women in crisis, Benedetti realized the need for supportive community-based interventions that could foster belonging, self-confidence, and personal growth, preventing crises before they arose. The lifelong Idahoan was aware of how the wilds of Idaho had shaped her into the confident, resilient woman she had become, but knew that many girls —

particularly in the Boise metropolitan area — faced barriers to participation in outdoor activities. Determined to create a safe space where young women could explore the outdoors, Benedetti set out to found Wild Hearts Idaho and has since provided outdoor experiences to over 300 girls. The “girl-focused and girl-led” nonprofit curates half-day, full-day, and multi-day adventures for teen girls, hiking, climbing, rafting, and backpacking, in its work toward cultivating and empowering tomorrow’s female leaders today.

Here, executive director Serena Rasmussen details the organization’s mission, programming, and vision for a bright new future.

Big Sky Journal: What is place-based leadership education, and how does it factor into Wild Hearts Idaho’s mission?

Serena Rasmussen: Our mission is to grow hearts for leadership by exploring Idaho’s wild places. We envision an Idaho where all girls have opportunities to develop their inherent leadership skills, access outdoor adventure, connect with their inner selves, gain support in their personal growth, and emerge as courageous and confident female leaders.

Place-based education employs the world around you as a starting point for learning. At Wild Hearts Idaho, place-based education is the foundation for all of our leadership lessons. For instance, we might explore decision-making on a backpacking trip by deliberating on when and where to make camp. All our participants would weigh in with pros — perhaps being tired and ready for a break — and cons — there may not be a good source of water near the site. An adult adventure mentor would facilitate healthy communication between both sides, and then the participants would make the final decision.

Wild Hearts Idaho founder Maggie Benedetti shows participants the route ahead during a two-day backpacking trip.

In this way, every Wild Hearts Idaho adventure is geared toward cultivating specific leadership skills for both internal and external growth. Once a participant has progressed through a particular set of personal development and leadership skills — we call this the Leadership Progression Model — she can apply to be a youth leadership board member and, eventually, an adventure mentor.

BSJ: What does a typical adventure look like?

Rasmussen: Wild Hearts Idaho trips are free for participants and include meals, transportation, and access to the gear needed to be safe and successful. This allows girls from all socioeconomic backgrounds access to the outdoors. Last year, 45 percent of our participants had never experienced an outdoor adventure before.

Our adventures range from day hikes in our local foothills and a half-day rock-climbing progression series, to multi-night whitewater rafting trips and week-long backpacking excursions. With a wide variety of activities, we offer something that can entice anyone to explore the outdoors and develop their inherent leadership abilities.

BSJ: Why are these adventures important for young women, and what are some of the lasting impacts?

Rasmussen: Wild Hearts Idaho adventures create a sense of adventure, community, and confidence during a foundational period in a woman’s life. Throughout middle and high school, girls receive all sorts of messages — from social media, peers, and other outlets — that can discourage the pursuit of their utmost potential. Creating a space where a girl can be brave about trying something new, learn to be comfortable in an outdoor setting, and grow from that experience is incredibly important to developing confidence, which will serve her for the rest of her life.

Current adventure mentor and board member Julieann Hagler co-led a three-part rock-climbing adventure in 2019. A visually impaired participant was hesitant at the beginning of the adventure, nervously venturing only a couple of feet up the wall on the first day. By the third day, with guidance from her partner, the participant gained the courage to ascend all the way to the top. The eruption of cheers from the group was incredible. “Watching [the participant] listen to herself, grow confidence not only in herself but the group, and find space to try new things was awe-inspiring,” Hagler says.

Many Wild Hearts Idaho participants have grown up through the program, advancing from participant to youth leadership board member, then on to adult adventure mentor. As a part of our youth leadership board, these incredible high schoolers meet regularly to cultivate additional skills, learn about career paths that interest them, and shape the direction of the larger Wild Hearts Idaho organization.

BSJ: What do you see for Wild Hearts Idaho’s future? How would you like to see the organization grow?

Rasmussen: We hope to expand, offering a greater variety of programming — such as fly fishing, wilderness survival, mountain biking, skiing, and snowboarding — to an increasing number of participants in an ever-growing number of communities throughout Idaho. We are always striving to share Idaho’s wild places with young people, grow our mission, and create even more courageous young leaders, one adventure at a time.