Dirt Divas: An examination of an outdoor adventure program's impact on the development of adolescent girls

This study examines the impact and outcomes of Dirt Divas, a mountain bike program designed to counteract the negative trends of female adolescence and support the developmental needs of this specific population. Study participants were 21 girls, ages 11-16, who were enrolled in one of two Dirt Divas programs in the summer of 2007. The purpose of this study was threefold: (a) to learn more about the significance of the experience in girls’ lives and determine how, if at all, girls are impacted by their participation; (b) to determine if program objectives are being met; and (c) to make a research-based contribution to the emergent scholarly field of girls outdoor adventure education. A mixed methods and triangulated design was employed, which allowed for the collection of both quantitative and qualitative data; qualitative data was analyzed using a grounded theory approach. The data indicates that the Dirt Divas program is generally (a) achieving its objectives, and (b) providing a positive experience to adolescent girls that impacts them in numerous ways. The findings of this study corroborate the results of earlier studies on this subject and support the notion that intentionally designed outdoor adventure programs can provide a variety of valuable and empowering experiences for girls and young women

Breaking the mold: Impacts of adventure education on girls

Adventure education programs have been created to address the developmental needs of adolescent girls. Such programs must be evaluated to determine whether they are having their intended impact. The purpose of this evaluation was to examine whether Dirt Divas, a mountain bike and empowerment program for girls, accomplishes its goals. Using a three-point numerical rating scale and open-ended questions on post-program evaluations and qualitative interviews, the authors evaluated whether Dirt Divas was meeting its goals to: (a) strengthen girls’ physical activity and promote positive body image, (b) foster positive gender identity development and resistance to gender role stereotypes, and (c) support girls’ resiliency. Findings suggest Dirt Divas impacts girls in the following ways: increased confidence in physical activity, feelings of physical strength, confidence, self-esteem, perseverance, courage, resiliency, a connection with other girls and a sense of self. Less clear are impacts on gender identity development, gender role stereotypes and body image

Eighteenth-century travel writing

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