aoconnell@thestamfordtimes.com

STAMFORD — A couple of weeks ago, 13-year-old Lindsay Bosquet, a seventh grader at Trailblazers Academy, found herself high in the air, walking on a wire in front of every other seventh grade girl in her school. It wasn't easy — she was supposed to carry an object, the wire wobbled and she almost fell and had to pull herself back up — but she did it, because every girl in her class was cheering her on.

"We cheer for them and support them," said Sylvie Andre, 12, who said she was terrified to complete the same activity, although she also managed it with the help of the classmates.

Girls' Circle teaches girls about friendship, relationships, body image and self-esteem. All 44 sixth and seventh grade girls in the school are in the program, said Foy, who said that it's important for girls in such a small school to get to know each other.

"Sisters get on each others' nerves sometimes and it can be like that here," said Foy. "They have to learn to work through it, especially on the ropes course."

Niajeha Green, 13, agrees. She says that it wasn't easy for the girls to band together at first.

"Last year, we had a lot of attitude with each other. This year, we all came together like sisters," she said.

Justin LaBaire, special projects coordinator for the Mayor's Youth Services Bureau, runs the Education through Adventure program. He works year-round with groups like the Girls' Circle to reinforce the lessons they learn in the classroom with activities that take kids out of their comfort zones and force them to forge relationships.

One of the activities is called the Burma Bridge. Two students are strapped into harnesses, and are asked to cross a bridge between two poles.

The bridge, which is 25 feet up in the air, consists only of three cables; one to walk across on and one on either side to hold onto. The cables are wobbly, said LaBaire, and even though the students are in harnesses, the task is intimidating.

Making it even more intimidating is the fact that both students have to cross at the same time, passing each other in the middle of the line.

The way the students negotiate the pass, he said, teaches them something about teamwork and something about themselves.

"When they came down I asked them 'Who was nervous?' and everybody raised their hand," said LaBaire. "I ask them 'did you achieve a goal? Did you make it further than you thought you would? Can you think of a time (in your life) when you made it further than you thought you would?'"

The idea, said LaBaire, is that by taking the kids out of their comfort zone — such as putting them on a wire several feet off the ground — they learn about self-confidence, teamwork, communication, trust and the difference between taking a healthy risk and taking an unhealthy risk.

"At the basic level, it's all about challenging yourself," said LaBaire. "Once you're outside of your comfort zone, there's an opportunity for real growth."

The girls agree that that they have been taken outside of their comfort zones in the Girls' Circle; whether discussing their feelings about boys or flying down a zipline, they have had to deal with some difficult topics this year.

Still, they say they've learned from their experiences on the ropes course.

Angelica St. Louis, 12, says she found her voice in Girls' Circle.

"I'm more loud," she said. "I don't care what people say any more."

Niajeha came away with practical information about being a teen.

"I learned that boys come and go and that love is a strong word," she said.