Boundary Waters Winter Semester - Intercept
Designed for teens that have begun to make choices at home and in school or with friends that are not positive influences on their future, this 50-day semester course begins with an extended skiing and dogsledding expedition and our traditional parent seminar. The winter environment of Northern Minnesota provides unrivaled opportunity for true physical challenge. Finding your personal strength and forming a well-functioning team here is an adventure that will change your view of yourself and what you are capable of forever. Imagine introducing your parents to the team of sled dogs you mushed through the Boundary Waters Wilderness Area! After the parent seminar, you and your group will spend 3 weeks further developing your problem solving and decision-making skills, leadership ability, and determination. The activities used to explore those goals will switch to backpacking, canoeing and rock climbing. Another aspect of the second half of the course is a project of the student’s choice for which school credit is available. Up to 12 college or high school credits are available for the semester though our partner colleges, Northland College in Wisconsin and Western State in Colorado.
Intercept
Intercept is a special program of Outward Bound, one of the oldest wilderness adventure programs in the world. It is designed to serve teens and their families and help them address concerns like risky behaviors, low motivation, defiance, or poor school performance. Expeditions are presented as metaphors for the transition from childhood to adulthood and designed to help teens connect their desire for more freedom with the reality that they must take on additional responsibility. Courses are highly structured with explicit wilderness, communication and leadership skill progressions, as well as time on course devoted to preparing for a parent / guardian conference mid-course. The conference is a conversation, facilitated by the instructor, in which parents and teens design a new plan for their household. In the ensuing 3 weeks, students will practice building their own strong team to accomplish goals they set together and individually. They will travel back to family and friends with real knowledge of themselves.
Course Area
The course takes place in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a million-acre expanse of lakes and granite that has been specifically protected as a true American wilderness—no roads, signs, or power lines. It has changed little since the glaciers receded 10,000 years ago. Waterfalls, sheer rock cliffs, and deep, crystal-clear lakes surrounded by towering spruce and pine are visited by moose, deer, beaver, and otter. Hiking takes place on the Superior Hiking Trail, which follows the coastline of Lake Superior. Adventure waits!
You should know that this will not be a guided trip, it is a real expedition. That means you and everyone in your group will participate in everything from cooking to navigation to learning knots. You should also know that a team effort means sharing the load and working to make sure that the gear is divided appropriately, that the team works together to reach goals each day.
Course Description
The Winter Semester begins in time to take advantage of the glorious end of winter on the Minnesota-Canadian border. First, you will learn basic snow-camping skills and form a good team. Then you will cross-country ski with your group’s team of sled dogs across glistening, snow-covered frozen lakes and rivers, surrounded by silent forests and under blue March skies. By the time you return to base camp, you and your team will have explored and tested your strengths, frustrations, dreams, and worries. You’ll be primed to tackle plans for your future when parents visit for the parent seminar. The second half of your course will be more self-directed. You’ll do significant community service. You and your team will plan a hiking trip while the lake ice melts and a third expedition by canoe. Sandwiched into your expedition schedule will be time to work on a research / presentation project of your own, giving you a chance to exercise your brain as well as your body and soul. Academic credit is available through our partner colleges for high school and college students, or we can help you arrange to receive credit through your school at home.
The goal of the semester is for students to go home with newfound self-confidence, self-direction and ability to take responsibility for their own success.
Intercept
Intercept is a special program of Outward Bound, one of the oldest wilderness adventure programs in the world. It is designed to serve teens and their families and help them address concerns like risky behaviors, low motivation, defiance, or poor school performance. Expeditions are presented as metaphors for the transition from childhood to adulthood and designed to help teens connect their desire for more freedom with the reality that they must take on additional responsibility. Courses are highly structured with explicit wilderness, communication and leadership skill progressions, as well as time on course devoted to preparing for a parent / guardian conference mid-course. The conference is a conversation, facilitated by the instructor, in which parents and teens design a new plan for their household. In the ensuing 3 weeks, students will practice building their own strong team to accomplish goals they set together and individually. They will travel back to family and friends with real knowledge of themselves.
Course Area
The course takes place in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a million-acre expanse of lakes and granite that has been specifically protected as a true American wilderness—no roads, signs, or power lines. It has changed little since the glaciers receded 10,000 years ago. Waterfalls, sheer rock cliffs, and deep, crystal-clear lakes surrounded by towering spruce and pine are visited by moose, deer, beaver, and otter. Hiking takes place on the Superior Hiking Trail, which follows the coastline of Lake Superior. Adventure waits!
You should know that this will not be a guided trip, it is a real expedition. That means you and everyone in your group will participate in everything from cooking to navigation to learning knots. You should also know that a team effort means sharing the load and working to make sure that the gear is divided appropriately, that the team works together to reach goals each day.
Course Description
The Winter Semester begins in time to take advantage of the glorious end of winter on the Minnesota-Canadian border. First, you will learn basic snow-camping skills and form a good team. Then you will cross-country ski with your group’s team of sled dogs across glistening, snow-covered frozen lakes and rivers, surrounded by silent forests and under blue March skies. By the time you return to base camp, you and your team will have explored and tested your strengths, frustrations, dreams, and worries. You’ll be primed to tackle plans for your future when parents visit for the parent seminar. The second half of your course will be more self-directed. You’ll do significant community service. You and your team will plan a hiking trip while the lake ice melts and a third expedition by canoe. Sandwiched into your expedition schedule will be time to work on a research / presentation project of your own, giving you a chance to exercise your brain as well as your body and soul. Academic credit is available through our partner colleges for high school and college students, or we can help you arrange to receive credit through your school at home.
The goal of the semester is for students to go home with newfound self-confidence, self-direction and ability to take responsibility for their own success.
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