Outward Bound USA Expands Urban Presence with Addition of Sixth Inner-City Center
Pasadena, CA – September 1, 2007– In a merger that was deemed “a match made in heaven” by Executive Director, Charles Thomas, Outward Bound Adventures (OBA) of Pasadena, CA joined Outward Bound USA as the non-profit’s sixth Urban Center on September 1, 2007.
“Our missions are parallel,” Thomas explained, “and our two respective organizations were looking to expand service into areas that each were exceptionally accomplished in; Outward Bound is looking to broaden its reach into major urban areas, where OBA has been for over 40 years. OBA is looking to expand its programs by creating a national network, such as the extraordinary network Outward Bound has developed.”
Renamed Los Angeles Outward Bound (LAOB), the Urban Center will continue to offer experiential learning opportunities to the surrounding community. Serving Los Angeles County since 1963, LAOB has worked with primarily inner-city youth to develop leadership as well as team building skills, instill a sense of accomplishment through physically challenging activities and promote the importance of protecting the environment through wilderness adventures such as backpacking and rock climbing. Under the Outward Bound USA umbrella, LAOB will work to expand and strengthen relationships with schools, local and regional youth service organizations, and business and civic leaders.Outward Bound Urban Centers serve over 12,000 people and can be found in five other major cities: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, New York and Philadelphia. In both urban and wilderness settings, Outward Bound Urban Centers use innovative programs to present educational and skill-building opportunities for young people.
About Outward Bound
Outward Bound, founded in 1941 by legendary educator Kurt Hahn, is a non-profit educational organization with five core programs that change lives, build teams and transform schools. We deliver adventure in the wilderness, urban settings, workrooms and classrooms to help individuals and teams achieve their possibilities, and to inspire them to serve others and care for the world around them. Today, Outward Bound serves 70,000 students and teachers annually.