Broadening Horizons

Field Trips

Our field trips expose our youth to places they have never visited and experiences they have never had. These field trips open their eyes to new worlds of possibilities that they otherwise would never consider.

Each year we have staff and volunteers accompany selected kids for separate girls and boys trips outside of the area.




Girls' Field Trip

Girls' Field Trip

Every year, Building Bridges sponsors an out-of-town trip with four at-risk adolescent girls between the ages of 13–18 years old. The purpose of these outings is to create positive life experiences, improve self-esteem, teach the value of team work, and practice social skills. In the past few years, the participants have traveled from Ohio to Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, and New York. The girl’s trip gives our disenfranchised girls a life-altering and educational experience that will help them growth into strong and assertive women.

Boys' Field Trip

Boys' Field Trip

For the past 16 years, Building Bridges has sponsored a Boy’s Wilderness Outing to Minnesota Boundary Waters for four inner city youths and four chaperon volunteers.

Typically, we are gone for about 7 days.  While portaging, the carrying of canoes overland from one body of water to another or around an obstacle, each individual is responsible for helping carry backpacks, paddles, life jackets, other equipment, and canoes.  It is not easy, but when all is said and done, we trek around 40 miles and go through 12 portages totaling around 4 miles in distance.

Upon our arrival at each camp site, we will fish, canoe, swim, build a campfire and take an expedition to the secluded lakes. While on the trip we write journals, self-reflect, meditate, read, tell stories, cook, and hold groups. Our ultimate goal is to work with each individual on values, thinking errors, social skills, anger management, and character qualities. They learn the values of hard work, respect for others, and the significance of teamwork. The challenges that these inner- city teens encounter during this journey will give them insight into how to cope in tough situations, deal with obstacles, and solve problems.