Because honesty is an essential element of good writing, I’m going to start this entry with a confession: I was a traditional student. There it is. I was the most traditional of all the traditional students. I finished high school... READ MORE

Outward Bound Instructors are students, too. Not just in a ‘good teachers are also always learning from their students’ kind of way. We actively place ourselves in a learning role where we can be students. It’s not always easy. But,... READ MORE

What is a Gap Year? A ‘Gap Year’ is intentional time away from the classroom or workplace—far from a wild or leisurely vacation—that facilitates personal growth through challenge and purpose. It is a time to pursue life experience and investigate interests.... READ MORE

With the support of your Instructors and crewmates, Outward Bound will teach you to thrive in challenging situations and help prepare you for a life of adventure, leadership and above all, compassion towards others. When else will you spend three months... READ MORE

Kurt Hahn, the educator who founded the first Outward Bound School, believed that within every person is “an outlandish thirst for adventure.” Outward Bound Schools all across the nation continue to serve that vision through our wilderness and urban programs.... READ MORE

If you think you can do a thing, or think you can’t do a thing, you’re right. – Henry Ford ————— Do I have what it takes? So you’re thinking about taking a long Outward Bound course.  Maybe you’re wondering, “Can... READ MORE

From the lush and rolling Blue Ridge Mountains, to the exotic depths of central and south Florida, to the steep and glaciated peaks of Patagonia, students on the Blue Ridge Mountains to Florida and Patagonia Leadership Semester spend 72 days honing leadership skills, practicing compassion, building... READ MORE

We recently had the pleasure of speaking with Spencer Gordon, a recent Outward Bound graduate who completed the Patagonia to Florida and Blue Ridge Mountains Leadership Semester this past April. Spencer had decided to take a semester to study abroad while... READ MORE

While you do not have to be a gifted athlete or in peak physical condition to attend an Outward Bound course or go on an extended outdoor expedition, you do have to prepare for the challenges that physical activities in... READ MORE

When you ask an Outward Bound Instructor the difference between our 7-day courses and our 30 to 85-day courses, they light up. While all Outward Bound expeditions teach the core values of compassion, integrity, excellence, inclusion and diversity, students on longer... READ MORE