Advancing Our Purpose
We’re committed to ensuring that our outdoor recreation and education experiences provide measurable and meaningful results for our participants – positively impacting the lives of those who explore with us.
Wilderness Inquiry has conducted program evaluation since 2010. For historical evaluation reports, please contact info@wildernessinquiry.org.
Youth Program Evaluations
We track and evaluate our youth programs to measure social-emotional learning (SEL) capacities of youth participants, allowing us to focus on research-based best practices that nurture young people to reach their fullest potential.
2025
Measuring the Impact of Canoemobile: What Students Across the Country Told Us
In partnership with Wilder Research, Wilderness Inquiry surveyed 1,559 4th–12th graders from Minnesota and six national sites to understand how a single Canoemobile youth day trip changes what young people think and feel about the outdoors. The report shows that more than 9 out of 10 students tried something new outside, felt welcomed and more connected, grew more interested in future outdoor adventures and helping the environment, and also surfaces important equity gaps and recommendations to strengthen belonging for BIPOC youth.
National Youth Day Trip Evaluation Report (full Wilder report)
Minnesota Snapshot: How Youth Day Trips Open the Outdoors Close to Home
This Minnesota-focused summary highlights how Wilderness Inquiry’s Canoemobile “floating classroom” is expanding outdoor access, with 286 youth day trips serving 16,264 Minnesotans in 2025 and most students trying something new outside. The findings show that large majorities of youth leave feeling more interested in outdoor activities, more connected to classmates, more like they belong in nature, and more motivated to help the environment.
Minnesota Youth Day Trip Evaluation Summary
2024
Youth Evaluation of Wilderness Inquiry’s Extended Camping Trips and Outdoor Credit Recovery Program
For a third consecutive year, we partnered with Hello Insight to evaluate youth program efficacy and social-emotional learning (SEL) outcomes in FY24. Youth who engaged in our Extended Camping Trips saw measurable gains in Outdoor and Core SEL capacities.
Impacts of Outdoor Experiences for Young People: Ripple Effect Mapping
In partnership with Wilder Foundation, our modified Ripple Effect Mapping evaluates Saint Paul, Minnesota’s Harding High School students, parents, and teachers involved in their after-school Earth Club. Key findings showed positive outcomes when programs like Wilderness Inquiry and Earth Club come together to offer supportive experiences that decrease barriers to participation in outdoor activities.
2023
Youth Evaluation of Wilderness Inquiry’s Extended Camping and Outdoor Credit Recovery Programs
For a second year, Wilderness Inquiry partnered with Hello Insight to evaluate youth program efficacy in FY23. Measurable gains were made across our multi-day youth program offerings, including 100% of students surveyed made statistically significant gains in one or more Core SEL areas and youth who participated in our Outdoor Credit Recovery program reported 94% overall program satisfaction.
2022
Youth Evaluation of Wilderness Inquiry’s Canoemobile, Extended Camping Trips and Outdoor Credit Recovery Programs
In 2022, we piloted a survey tool in partnership with Hello Insight to evaluate youth program efficacy in FY22. Across our youth program offerings, young people showed meaningful effect size gains in one or more social-emotional learning (SEL) outcomes.
2021
Evaluation of Wilderness Inquiry’s Urban Wilderness Explorers Program
In partnership with the Center for Applied Research in Educational Improvement at the University of Minnesota, on the outcomes of programming with youth through a six-week summer program with Great Minnesota Schools.
Adult and Family Evaluations
We evaluate our adult and family programs and trips to ensure high-quality, impactful experiences for all — empowering and supporting individuals and families on their journeys into the outdoors.
2025 Military Families Outdoors Impact Report
In 2025, Military Families Outdoors (MFO) served more than 13,500 Service Members and family members through nature-based experiences that support stress reduction, family resilience, physical and mental well-being, and a lasting connection to the outdoors. Post-program surveys from Blue Star Families and Wilderness Inquiry show that participants reported high levels of belonging, connection, and confidence getting outside on their own, underscoring MFO’s role as a vital upstream wellness resource for military-connected communities.
2024 Military Families Outdoors Impact Report
In its 2024 pilot year, Military Families Outdoors (MFO) impacted over 9,000 participants through outdoor experiences that promote stress reduction, community connection, physical well-being, and a lifelong connection to nature. The Year 1 Evaluation Report from the Center for Health and Nature at Texas A&M found that participants were highly satisfied with the program.