Historical Perspective

In 1941, the first Outward Bound School was opened in Aberdovey, Wales, using sea training to develop character and grit for British seamen at risk in World War II. Co-founded by Kurt Hahn, a German educator who was the founding headmaster of the Gordonstoun School in Scotland, and Lawrence Holt, Chairman of the Blue Funnel Lines, it became the wellspring of experiential learning in the post-war period.

Outward Bound then expanded in the 1950's in the UK, into Asia through Malaysia, into Europe through Germany, Africa through Kenya, and into Australia. Growth continued in the 1960's with schools in the USA and Canada as well as Singapore. The UK Trust provided the inspiration for expansion so that by the start of the 1970's Outward Bound had a worldwide presence with 25 schools.

In 1983, forty-two years after the first Outward Bound School was opened, Outward Bound Schools worldwide first met in conference. This meeting came through the initiative of Outward Bound New Zealand and was hosted by them at Anakiwa. At the second conference in 1986 in Malaysia it was agreed to establish an International Secretariat in the UK. By 1988, at an International Conference held in Cooperstown, NY, it was agreed that all Schools would pay dues of one-tenth of one percent of revenues to support the Secretariat in providing much trademark protection support to the system. The 50th Anniversary Meeting at Aberdovey in 1991 yielded specific terms of reference for the Secretariat, and an International Advisory Board was established to provide oversight.

In 1994, the Hong Kong International Conference agreed that the International Secretariat be staffed on a full-time basis. Concurrently, the Outward Bound Trust UK was in the process of major restructuring and housing a full-time Secretariat was an unjustified distraction. Consequently a new location for the Secretariat was sought. Outward Bound Western Canada generously agreed to provide a home. The offices were opened in Vancouver, BC in January 16, 1996 with Derek Pritchard as the Executive Director. Currently the Secretariat employs full-time staff to oversee licensing and trademark matters for over 50 schools, to publish newsletters and convene conferences, as well as manage a Safety and Quality Review system.

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Outward Bound® Today

"I feel like a different person. The more I do, the more likely I am to say, 'I can, I can do it'."

"(Outward Bound's) chief work is enrichment ... Our courses are supposed to mature people, and no doubt they do, but more importantly they keep people young so that they retain their child's sense of wonder at themselves and at their world."

Encounter the diversity which is Outward Bound anywhere in the world today, and that experience is founded on the same two propositions: (1) learning and growth take place by the interaction between individuals accepting a challenge in an unfamiliar environment, and (2) this learning is transferable to meeting today's complex challenges - at home, in school or at work. Growth occurs through: the teaching of technical and wilderness skills; the experience of increasingly difficult and challenging activities; the opportunity to reflect on accomplishments in solitude; and the examination of ways to incorporate all that has been learned into daily lives. In short, Outward Bound is educational; it builds character and values which Kurt Hahn called "the other, and more important, side of the report card."

"The trick is not to rid your stomach of butterflies—but to make them fly in formation."

"The course has been a reminder that life can be simpler, that problems can be surmounted, that nature is majestic, and that strangers can be friends."

Learning by doing
Virtually all Outward Bound courses throughout the world provide the opportunity to learn: leadership and teamwork, decision-making, goal-setting and problem-solving, safety and good judgment; environmental expertise and protection; reflection and evaluation; confidence and compassion. And, all Outward Bound courses are open to all people regardless of race, religion, colour, physical or mental strength, social or educational background or occupation.

To be Outward Bound is to be committed to a journey into the future, uncertain of outcome but certain of adventure and surprise.

Youth
The Core Mission of Outward Bound was and remains the education of the youth of the world, young men and women from the ages of 16 to 24. In 1941, the challenge was young men's survival in the North Sea; today the challenge is survival of a different sort: young men and women must face an increasingly complex world where self-esteem and confidence are at a premium. The period between adolescence and adulthood is characterized by rapid change—change which creates problems and opportunities.

Outward Bound provides the opportunity for young people at this critical time of their lives to engage in direct, dramatic experience in new and unfamiliar surroundings; to participate in challenging and rewarding activities; and to discover their strengths, build their confidence and examine their ideals and values.

The Core Mission of Outward Bound was and remains the education of the youth of the world, young men and women from the ages of 16 to 24. In 1941, the challenge was young men's survival in the North Sea; today the challenge is survival of a different sort: young men and women must face an increasingly complex world where self-esteem and confidence are at a premium. The period between adolescence and adulthood is characterized by rapid change, which creates problems and opportunities.

Special Audiences
In recent years the scope of Outward Bound courses has expanded, widening the range of participants to include individuals and groups with more specialized needs. Most Outward Bound schools are currently providing a selection of shorter courses to meet more focused requirements. The development of courses for special audiences with special needs has validated the notion that a more homogeneous approach to the Outward Bound experience is often beneficial for both personal development and shared group dynamics.

Professional Development & Educational Involvement
Many of the same life skills encountered and enhanced on Outward Bound courses which are concerned with "personal development" are also applicable to professional development. An increasing number of centres/schools world-wide are working with business corporations and educational institutions which relate outdoor challenges and group dynamics to promoting teamwork and motivation on the one hand and exploring experiential learning and contemporary educational issues on the other. Building on and extending from the more than 50-year notion that Outward Bound has the power to transform and inspire, its corporate training programs improve productivity and effectiveness of staff plus assist with communication skills. One of their major goals is to ensure that organizations can anticipate, keep pace with and manage change more effectively.

"As an educational forum, Outward Bound offers true learning, involving heart, mind and body in a way that will last a lifetime."

The Outward Bound movement in the United Sates has, since its inception, been committed to the mission of "outreach" and making a significant contribution to the mainstream of US education. A more recent relationship with the Harvard University Graduate School of Education has led to a number of pilot projects in the field of experiential learning which have been introduced in several school districts throughout the country. All these dynamic and far-reaching programs have served as prototypes for other, in many cases, similar Outward Bound initiatives in other corners of the Outward Bound world.

In the City
The urban landscape may also be regarded as a kind of wilderness. As such, it, too, has become another environment into which Outward Bound skills and strategies have been introduced. City Challenge, founded by Freddie Fuller in the UK after his Peace Corps training experience in Puerto Rico, was the first urban program to be established. The US now has two dedicated urban centres—in New York City and Boston—plus a number of city centre programs allied to each of its "wilderness" schools. Much of the work of Outward Bound Netherlands and Belgium are urban-based, and interest in the concept has been shown in both African and Asian schools.

"Fundamentally, Outward Bound is about love ... People who really love life go exploring; they are outward bound on the oceans of their lives ... They do not hoard themselves, they spend themselves. And, paradoxically, it is the spending that enriches them."

International Themes

Safety
Risk Management is of primary concern to all who are associated with Outward Bound. Outward Bound courses throughout the world are designed with risk management in mind, and the organization's outstanding safety record is an international source of pride. Systems are constantly upgraded, and risk management training takes place regularly in each center.

Service
From Outward Bound's earliest days some form of community service - a reaching outward in aid of others - has been a principal tenet of the organization. This "service component" to an Outward Bound course can take many forms. It is central to many international City Challenge/City Bound programs in aid of the homeless, the mentally and physically incapacitated and the economically deprived. In the world's wilderness it may take the form of conservation and environmental projects. Service is also offered to the Outward Bound centre/school in maintenance and upkeep and/or new construction.

"There are three ways to appeal to the young. You can preach at them, but that is a hook without a worm. You can say: 'you must volunteer'; that is the devil. And you can tell them, 'You are needed'. That hardly ever fails." KH

Staff
The staffs of Outward Bound worldwide are the vitally important element in the Outward Bound experience. Their responsibilities are legion as are the variety of their requirements: a blend of empathy, insight, sensitivity, technical expertise and patience. As courses may contain real physical and psychological challenges, the role of the instructor/tutor is crucial the success and safety of the enterprise. In fulfilling this role, they initiate and engineer diverse situations and experiences, they reach the necessary basic skills, and they provide individual and group counseling and feedback as appropriate. They demonstrate in their own behavior their concern for people and their belief in the Outward Bound process. Visit virtually any Outward Bound centre/school in the world, and instructors employed from many other corners of the Outward Bound world will be found. International staff employment and exchanges are commonplace - and encouraged. All staff around the Outward Bound world is imbued with common tenets: all share common goals for course participants. All would subscribe to: "(I have a) passionate concern that (people) should not merely survive the challenges they are impelled to experience, but that they should emerge strengthened in every way - spiritually, intellectually, physically and morally." KH

Shared Strategies
Various strategies have been developed to promote the vision and mission of Outward Bound International - to ensure its universal standards of excellence and commonality of experience. International Conferences (which have been held in New Zealand, Malaysia, New York, Wales and Hong Kong), International Courses and the bi-monthly International Newsletter as well as the work of an International Secretariat and International Advisory Board support these efforts through staff exchanges, multi-culturalism, sister schools, communication, training and networking.

Environmental Teaching
Since its inception Outward Bound has been a proactive leader and teacher in the field of environmental protection. Several Outward Bound publications have been produced for use as teaching aids to help course participants understand environmental issues, as well as practice 'leave no trace' outdoor skills.

Fund-raising
Contributions are needed for capital projects, program development, scholarships, and just making ends meet. As a not for profit educational institution, more course ideas, service projects, and new initiatives are always planned than can be funded. The financial health of Outward Bound schools is always a challenge for devoted Boards and staff members. All contributions are welcome, including being remembered in a Will or Trust Agreement. For corporations, scholarship programs which can be tied into internships for under-privileged youth can help both the donee and the donor.