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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Taiga Adventure Camp is returning to Fort Smith this summer to build on the success of two eight-day pilot camps that drew 80 girls from across the Northwest Territories to Aurora College last July.

The camp was founded with the belief that positive role models, educational experience and leadership opportunities enhance the self-esteem of young women and encourage them pursue their fullest potential.

"The intent is empowerment," says Kirsten Carthew, co-founder of the Taiga Camp with Shannan Schimmelmann.

"We want young women to realize that they have options and choices well beyond the scope of their current experience. Taiga camps provide the setting for new and exciting experiences, self-reflection and relationships with others."

Schimmelmann believes the camp experience can help young women deal with the issues that confront youth in the Northwest Territories - substance abuse, teen pregnancies, suicide and under-achievement.

"They gain confidence from interacting with others who may be in similar situations, or learning from others with very different backgrounds and cultures," Schimmelmann said. "The camps also open their eyes to the options and opportunities that are out there."

The days are blocked out between sessions that nurture personal health, self-esteem, fitness and traditional knowledge, and filled with instruction and discussion that stimulate body and mind: rock climbing, kayaking, swimming, fishing, hiking, self-defence, traditional knowledge, storytelling, career development, trades training and university.

"These are opportunities that don't exist in many small, isolated communities of the Northwest Territories," said Amy Jenkins, camp manager and member of the Taiga board of directors.

All of the activities are intended to enhance self-image, making it easier for young women to adjust to new environments, personal satisfaction and habits that lead to healthy choices and a better lifestyle, said Jenkins.

Positive outcomes that were thought to require months to achieve can be realized over one to eight weeks, Jenkins said, citing a study by the American Camping Association.

"The proof of success is that most of those who attended the pilot camps last year in Fort Smith want to return this summer," Jenkins said.

"We've also received letters and e-mails from parents and guardians. They've noticed a difference in the girls' lives, an enthusiasm for the opportunities they have."

Campers can apply through their school or band office or via the Internet, at www.taigacamp.com.

Depending on the response to fundraising efforts, Taiga hopes to offer three camps in Fort Smith, July 2 to 9, for ages 11 to 13. The second and third camps, for ages 14 to 17, are scheduled to begin July 14 and July 26.

The original intent was to offer camp sessions in a different region every year, but the plan is now to change locations every two or three years. In 2011 operations are expected to shift to Inuvik, and then to Hay River, Yellowknife and Fort Simpson.

"A long term goal, which would include significant increased funding would be to offer two sessions simultaneously, effectively doubling our operations and potentially reaching a majority of youth across the NWT, including young men," said Carthew.

"Young men face essentially the same issues facing young women," she said. By 2010, Taiga expects to offer a pilot camp for young men in Fort Smith.