The Courage Project

Helping children believe in their ability to live their lives to the fullest

THE COURAGE PROJECT is a Nevada non-profit organization, founded by Brie Moore, Ph.D., a Clinical Psychologist specializing in the evidence-based treatment of psychological and behavioral health concerns in children. The Courage Project was born out of her desire to share the acceptance, empowerment, and psychological growth that playing outdoors can offer.

The Courage Project offers opportunities for children to engage in summer and winter outdoor adventures, all in the world-class destination of beautiful Lake Tahoe. Carefully selected activities challenge children’s expectations regarding their capabilities, inspire them to overcome obstacles, and promote psychological growth. The organization’s goal is to help children believe in their ability to live their lives to the fullest.

Events

The Courage Project partners with Tahoe’s best guides and instructors. This allows them to highlight all of the diverse opportunities available in in the Tahoe region while insuring a safe, fun, and high-quality experience. During the summer months, the organization offers rock climbing, standup paddleboarding, mountain top and lakefront yoga, and mindfulness hiking adventures. These services have been made possible by generous donations from the North American Ski Training Center and Rock Climbing School (NASTC), Tahoe City Kayak, Juicebox Yoga, Tahoe Rim Trail Association, Tahoe Institute for Natural Science, and Adrift Tahoe. During the winter months the organization offers guided snowshoe hikes, skiing, and snowboarding events as well. All events are offered free of charge to registered participants.

Approach

The Courage Project adventures are complemented by mindfulness-based coping skills training aimed at building emotional intelligence, reducing the impact of emotional distress and fostering resilience. Regardless of ability, The Courage Project believes all children have the capacity to grow if challenged gently at the edge of their comfort zone. For some children this may be just approaching an activity, while for others this may be advancing their skills. Rather than having a particular outcome in mind,  the project ensures that children are provided with opportunities to approach and overcome their fears and self-doubt. Courage Coaches support children in developing personalized goals for the day and establishing their own pacing for achieving these goals. Children often set goals such as having fun, trying something new, or challenging themselves. The program facilitates this process by communicating with the children regarding their goals, staying attuned to their readiness to proceed, and enthusiastically supporting progress towards their goals — no matter how incremental. Each activity is approached gradually, systematically, and with compassion. This approach allows children access to previously inaccessible experiences.

The Kids

Children ages 6 to 13 years old are welcome on The Courage Project adventures. Participants often struggle with symptoms of anxiety and depression, including fears of failure, low self-confidence, perfectionism, tension, worry, withdrawal, low mood, and/or social difficulties. However, no formal diagnosis is required for participation. The Courage Project believes all children can benefit greatly from increased emotional intelligence and some thoughtful time in the great outdoors!

Learn More

The Courage Project is a volunteer run organization supported fully by donations. To register, donate or learn more please visit courageproject.org.