Women's Wilderness

The Women’s Wilderness Institute is a nonprofit organization focused on strengthening the courage, confidence and leadership qualities of girls and women through the challenge of wilderness and community based experiences. Based in Boulder, CO the organization was started in 1998 by Coloradoans Laura Tyson, Judith Vanderryn and Jan Lemmon. The three came together to form the nonprofit with the mission of strengthening the courage, confidence and leadership qualities of girls and women, through the challenge and support of group wilderness and community-based experiences. At the time there were no established nonprofit organizations in the Rocky Mountain Region only dedicated to providing quality wilderness programming specifically for women and girls. The organization provides personal development and leadership programs for girls age 8-18 as well as skill-building adventures for adult women. Efforts are made to reach out to young women from low-income families and from socially and ethnically diverse backgrounds. Annually, more than 50 percent of girls' program participants receive need-based financial assistance and more than 35 percent are Latina, African-American or Asian-American. In 2013, 40% of girls qualified for scholarships. In the 15-year history of The Women's Wilderness Institute a girl has never been turned away because of financial need.