The Lehigh Valley Women of Adventure

In 2024, I got the opportunity to connect with Jackie Seidman, a wonderful woman living in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania who had founded a nonprofit women’s outdoors group called the Lehigh Valley Women of Adventure (LVWoA). After getting the chance to talk with her extensively, I realized that she and the LVWoA had such incredible stories that needed to be shared with the world. So naturally, I set out to make a documentary on Jackie’s story called, “Unfamiliar Faces”. I also made a promotional video/documentary about the formation and goals of the group as a whole, getting interviews and testimonies with many members of the group as well as Jackie herself.

“Lehigh Valley Women of Adventure was established in August 2022 by Jackie L. Seidman of Whitehall, Pennsylvania. In February 2022, shortly after losing her mother, Jackie was nominated for a women’s adventure weekend sponsored by Dreamland Safari Tours in Kanab, Utah. During this experience, she realized the power that sharing outdoor experiences with other women can have in improving mental and physical health and building confidence. In an effort to provide a safe environment for women to experience the outdoors together, she started a local hiking group. By January 2023, the group had grown to 3,000 members.

LVWoA aims to empower women in the Lehigh Valley area and beyond. Our goal is to help women prioritize themselves and their physical and mental health by encouraging them to participate in outdoor adventures with other women with similar interests. Our organized hikes and other adventures allow our members to share their stories, build relationships, and empower each other.”

Jackie Seidman - Founder of the Lehigh Valley Women of Adventure