We at Voyageur Outward Bound School are looking forward to you joining us at Homeplace, our wilderness base near Ely, Minnesota for the Alumni Service Week! You will come together with other alumni who are familiar with the Outward Bound challenge for this unique blend of service work and community building.
The Alumni Service Week is not designed as a standard Outward Bound course, but as an opportunity for alumni and us to benefit from each other's energy and enthusiasm. Participants will work with Outward Bound staff, preparing for the upcoming season or preparing the base for winter. Work projects might consist of painting or staining, wood chopping, setting up cabins, landscaping, repairing and launching waterfront docks, or repairing and reorganizing the equipment used during the previous season. We may also offer projects tailored to a participant’s specific skills, such as computer or kitchen work.
Opportunities for fun are incorporated into the week. Activities might include rock climbing and rappelling, canoeing, an overnight expedition, saunas, and visits to local points of interest such as the International Wolf Center and North American Bear Center. Additionally, opportunities for reflection, renewal, and initiatives may be offered. Participants will have time to interact with the base staff through the various projects and community meals; as alumni, you become part of the community.
- COURSE LENGTH (may be a range): 7 days
- AGE RANGE: 18+ Must be an OB alumni to attend
COURSE AREA
Homeplace is located at the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, situated on Birch Lake in the Superior National Forest. It is a community in the midst of woods and water and is an ideal place to work and play. The base is surrounded by boreal forest with giant white pines and cedars and overlooks rapids of the Kawishiwi River, carved by ice-age glaciers and just a sliver of one of the largest inland navigable waterway systems in the world. Deer, pine marten, woodpeckers, and eagles are commonly spotted right on the base camp grounds.