Semester Alum, Mac Gaither provides a bird’s eye view into his expedition learnings through his own words and photography. It was day 59 of our 63-day Leadership Semester program. We’d climbed mountains on top of mesas, canoed the Lower Canyons... READ MORE

Discover how leadership skills learned through an Outward Bound gap year program transition into lives of leadership in students back home. You just finished up a gap year program with Outward Bound. You’re ready to take a normal shower, eat... READ MORE

This post was originally published on July 6, 2015, and updated on July 1, 2021. “Gap year experiences invariably serve to develop some of the non-cognitive skills that current research are showing predict success better than IQ: motivation, optimism, grit,... READ MORE

This post was originally published on July 11, 2017, and updated on June 14, 2021.  Unplug. Recalibrate. Make learning real (fun) again. Gain perspective. Do hard stuff. Learn to say yes. Live your values. Increase people skills. Discover your strength.... READ MORE

Dear 2021 Graduates, I just returned from a five-day backpacking trip in the Los Padres National Forest with a group of high school students from the Midland School. While not instructing Outward Bound courses, I’m the Dean of Experiential Learning... READ MORE

Play to your strengths- a quick tip meant to be both encouraging and direct. A reminder to keep your head up if you’re feeling low and do what you already know how to do- the things you are naturally good... READ MORE

A few minutes into your Outward Bound course, you may think, “I’m nervous. I’m excited. I hope people like me.” A few days into the course, you may think, “I can’t do this. My body can’t do this. I want... READ MORE

My high school experience was mundane and ordinary. I enjoyed my time in school, participated in sports and extracurricular activities, but I wasn’t excelling. My time in the classroom felt mandatory and uninspiring. I was going through the motions to... READ MORE

Each year, high school seniors and young adults are tasked with discovery to find the perfect answer to “what’s next?” Throw a global pandemic into the mix—and the social responsibility to take a stand both with your actions and your... READ MORE

 Life is a journey, and sometimes it can be challenging to find our way. Our Pathfinder course for young adults is an outdoor program designed to give you tools to navigate the challenges and decisions ahead. On a Pathfinder... READ MORE