Rio Desafio

New Mexico faces serious problems with youth at risk. According to Tim Burn’s Theory of the Resilient Child, the single most important factor in a child’s ability to bounce back from adversity is a single person; a mentor or person who really cares, unconditionally, about the life of the child. The goals of Rio Desafio are:

• To create a bond between youth and their mentors that fosters a close interpersonal relationship.
• To decrease the level of risk by promoting increased self-esteem, confidence and personal responsibility
• To engender a proactive or “I can” attitude
• To create a safe environment where youth and mentors can explore and learn about each other and establish future goals

Rio Desafio provides 3 – 7 day river rafting trips for identified youth at risk and their mentors, or sidekicks, as we fondly call our mentors. Rio Desafio’s intent is to bring you and their mentors to a powerful place, outside their sphere of comfort, to establish new bonds that will encourage a healthy future.