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
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
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
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
You decided to take the leap—you applied for a long course. Welcome to the first of many steps taken in courage along this journey. You probably felt the rush of adrenaline flow into your fingers as you clicked the submit... READ MORE
I recently arrived at the Outward Bound basecamp in Big Bend, Texas to embark on a staff expedition. Right from the start, the sun was gleaming. Our crew looked in awe of the mountains that towered around us—the Chisos range... READ MORE
A few weeks ago, I was standing in a circle with five dirt-covered adolescents just outside Marble, Colorado. With Aspen leaves still dripping from the early morning’s downpour, I told the students that the 15-day mountaineering course they had just... READ MORE
The first day of any expedition is nerve-wracking, thinking about the future days together with your crew—the miles not yet traveled and skills waiting to be mastered. You’re apt to see everyone’s true selves, which will be a mixture of... READ MORE
For the families of high school juniors or seniors, or for those with young adults out of high school, the stress of college applications and finding jobs is likely here. Every path leading to life after high school seems to... READ MORE
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