Young People are Overcoming Different Challenges During Autumn and Winter Residentials

In the early summer of 2022, 622,350 students took their GCSEs1. Most of these students will also have taken mock exams, usually held by schools in late December or early January, to prepare for the highly fretted-over summer exams. Many students’ half-term holidays are filled with studying, creating a continuous block of stress from January to June, with many asking: why is there nothing to break this up??

Capitalizing on the sense of relief after finishing December and January mock exams, young people can be given the opportunity to create experiences which develop adaptability skills and equip themselves with a positive mindset as they continue forward towards their final exams.?

Our research has shown immediate and long-lasting increases in young people's self-determination and psychological well-being following the attendance of outdoor adventure residentials compared to school-based programmes.?

By creating experiences which develop adaptability skills at the beginning of a new academic year, young people are equipped with a positive mindset as they acclimatize to learning challenges in an unfamiliar environment. Our research has reported immediate and lasting increases in the self-determination and psychological well-being of children following their attendance at outdoor adventure residentials compared to schools-based inductions. In addition, in the largest published study of its kind, over 2500 new university students attending over forty outdoor residential programmes achieved a 9% greater increase in their resilience than students who remained at university and actually reported a decrease.

The same can be said for residentials held during the Autumn and Winter period. Through the adventures that well-constructed residentials provide, the foundations are laid for increasing confidence, collaboration and independence, providing a platform for continuous personal development. Young people are required to adapt to new environments in fun and exciting ways, often working as a team to complete problem-solving activities or independently in physically challenging situations. The longer nights during an autumn or winter residential mean children can learn through activities such as night-time trekking, stargazing or building campfires. The positive outcomes of thoughtfully planned adventure experiences in the refreshing outdoors shouldn’t be under-estimated at a time when resilience has never been more important.”