Youthline is a youth development and support network that provides 24-hour telephone counseling as well as face-to-face therapy sessions and community development projects. The organization aims to provide support to young people who are having a hard time and counsellors cover everything from drugs and alcohol to loneliness and self-esteem. It's a service that receives 250,000 calls each year and utilizes the skills of over 1000 volunteers.

We want to make sure that every young person in New Zealand is aware that this service exists. With an increase in youth depression rates (8% of kiwi teenagers), we believe it is vitally important. We also think it is essential to encourage kids to get out and active, to gain respect for themselves, for their environment and for others. Research has shown that wilderness experiences significantly increase resilience and self-esteem.

"Adventure Education has been shown to contribute to many positive outcomes for youth, including self-concept, self-efficacy, emotional stability, flexibility and leadership.  Unlike classroom or therapy based programs, the outcomes are maintained long after the experience ends and in some cases are exponential, that is, they increase with
time. Self-esteem has also been shown to increase with outdoor education, but unlike other programs, that aim to elevate self-esteem, adventure programs have the benefit of not increasing prejudice or aggression. Recent research also indicates that resilience, or the ability to learn and grow following adversity, can be enhanced through
adventure education."

       Jillian Hayhurst,
       Psychology Masters Student Otago University

We can't take many kids on our trip with us, but if we can catch their attention through post-trip film-screenings, magazine articles and inspirational talks, then perhaps with the help of Youthline, we'll inspire them to get involved in adventures and reap the rewards of a life in the outdoors.