Sometimes, confidence begins with a single moment, a decision to try.
To climb a little higher. To spend a night away from home. To step up to the plate. To introduce yourself to someone new.
These moments may seem small, but they often become the milestones that shape who we are. They challenge young people to trust themselves, take risks, build relationships and discover strengths they never knew they had.
For youth who are blind or visually impaired, the chance to experience those moments is not always easy to find. Often, the barrier isn’t the activity itself but a lack of understanding of what it takes to make an activity or environment accessible. Greater awareness can help change that, opening doors to experiences every young person deserves.
And the need extends far beyond any one community. According to the 2024 American Community Survey, approximately 662,000 children in the United States were reported as having serious difficulty seeing, even when wearing glasses, or being blind.
Behind that number are young people navigating the same milestones, challenges and possibilities as their peers. Ensuring vision loss does not limit access to those experiences is central to Outlook Enrichment’s mission. For the next generation, that commitment takes shape through opportunities like camp.
After a six-year hiatus, Outlook Explorers: Journey Beyond Sight Camp returned in July 2026, bringing together youth who are blind or visually impaired for a week of adventure, connection and discovery. Campers competed in adaptive sports, climbed a rock wall, practiced archery, soared on a zip line and stepped onto a stage to share their talents with peers.
For parent Libby Brumhaugh-Stenzel, watching that growth unfold was powerful.
“It is incredible to watch our children build trust, gain such confidence, willingness to try new things without judgment, and the new friendships are the best,” Brumhaugh-Stenzel shared.
Outlook Enrichment adaptive sports specialist Glen Wragge has seen how a week at camp can spark lasting confidence and independence.
“For many of our campers, it is the first time they spend the night away from home. It is also the first time they have a peer group that understands them; they don’t have to explain themselves. Their level of independence grows throughout the week. I hear comments throughout the week like, ‘I knew I could do it.’ Having an environment that the campers know is modified for their participation, that is safe and challenging, has the campers trying activities they never thought were possible, let alone an option for them,” shared Wragge.
Eventually, the climbing harnesses come off. The games end. New friends say goodbye, and campers return home. But what they discover about themselves can stay with them.
It lives in the courage to speak up, advocate for themselves, step into something unfamiliar or take on a challenge they once thought was out of reach. It lives in the friendships formed, the independence gained and a growing belief in what is possible.
For Outlook Enrichment, those are the moments that matter most. Not simply reaching the top of a climbing wall or hitting a target, but watching a young person recognize their own ability and hearing four words that can carry far beyond camp: “I can do this.”
Mark your calendars, Outlook Explorers camp is set to return July 18-23, 2027.
Help create more moments like these. Visit OutlookEN.org to learn more and discover how to get involved.
