The Helmsman Project helps young people develop important life skills, namely hope, resilience and self-regulation. We find that most people are pretty familiar with hope and resilience as concepts, but explaining what self-regulation actually means can be a bit more tricky.

For our participants, self-regulation means learning to take ownership of their thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It’s also about putting in the hard work to reach goals. They learn to work with their personal strengths and those of others as well as develop an increased level of awareness to assist them with decision-making and interactions with others.

According to some researchers, self-regulation is one of the most important factors for encouraging academic engagement and preventing risky behaviour. While this is a skill that is important in every stage of life, it is particularly important for young people who are making critical decisions about their futures.

By taking our participants out of their comfort zone, through adventure education and other hands-on learning experiences, The Helmsman Project makes the abstract concept of self-regulation tangible. This helps our participants apply the lessons they learn in other situations.