Outward Bound
Encyclopedia
Outward Bound is an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor education
organization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year. Outward Bound programs aim to foster the personal growth and social skills of participants by using challenging expeditions in the outdoors.
The first Outward Bound school was opened in Aberdovey
, Wales
in 1941 by Kurt Hahn
, and Lawrence Holt
with the support of the Blue Funnel Line
. Outward Bound grew out of Hahn's work in the development of the Gordonstoun
school and what is now known as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Outward Bound's founding mission was to give young seamen
the ability to survive harsh conditions at sea
by teaching confidence, tenacity, perseverance and to build experience of harsh conditions. Jim Hogan served as warden for the first year of the school. This mission was established and then expanded by Capt. J. F. 'Freddy' Fuller who took over the leadership of the Aberdovey school in 1942 and served the Outward Bound movement as senior warden until 1971. Fuller had been seconded from the Blue Funnel Line following wartime experience during the Battle of the Atlantic of surviving two successive torpedo attacks
and commanding an open lifeboat in the Atlantic ocean for thirty-five days without losing a single member of the crew. From the inception of Outward Bound, community service was an integral part of the program, especially in the areas of sea and mountain rescues and this remains an important part of the training for both staff and students in Outward Bound, Wales. The first Outward Bound program for females was conducted in 1951. Fuller was seconded to the USA in the early sixties to help establish Outward Bound USA in Colorado and the first Peace Corps training camp in Puerto Rico.
Some of the more notable Outward Bound teachers include James Kielsmeier
, Stan Hugill
, Tom Kennerley, Paul Petzoldt
, Robert B. Rheault
, Karl Rohnke
, and Willi Unsoeld.
leaves the pier. This is signified by Outward Bound's use of the nautical flag, the Blue Peter
(a white rectangle inside a blue rectangle). JF Fuller adapted the Outward Bound motto, "To Serve, To Strive and not To Yield," from the poem "Ulysses
" by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
, wilderness survival skills
, and leadership
skills through courses ranging from one week to one semester to people of all ages. Outward Bound has a wide range of programs, from urban programs that seek to help troubled youth to family programs that seek to improve familial communication. Today Outward Bound has 40 schools all over the world and reports serving over 200,000 students each year. One of the latest developments of Outward Bound is a center for peacebuilding
.
Outward Bound courses follow a kind of recipe or formula, termed the Outward Bound Process Model which is well described by Walsh and Golins (1976) as:
In a typical modern class, participants are divided into small patrols (or groups) under the guidance of one or more trained OB instructors. The first few days at a base camp are spent in various forms of training for the activities that the course will contain and in the philosophy of Outward Bound, a form of compassionate self-reliance combined with care for others. Activities may include one or more of the following: backpacking
or hiking
(hillwalking
), canoeing
, canyoneering, dog sled
ding, mountaineering
, rafting
, rock climbing
and rappelling (abseiling
), sailing
, sea kayaking
, and skiing
.
After initial confidence-building challenges, the group heads off on an expedition under the guidance of the instructor(s). As the wilderness skills and spirit of the students increase, the instructors ask the group to make its own decisions.
During a program instructors often aim to impart sufficient wilderness skills to assure that everyone can take part in a tradition called "solo". Solo involves instructors taking each participant to a location which is near enough to the group to be safe, but far enough away to allow reflective time alone in the wilderness. At the end of the course, participants are presented with a final challenge to show them just how much they have developed physically, socially, and emotionally.
Outward Bound offers a variety of courses of different lengths year-round for ages 12 and up. Teenagers and young adults benefit by developing confidence and leadership skills. Many adults and companies use Outward Bound strategically for team building
and to return to their daily lives re-energized. Prospective attendees are generally encouraged to work before their arrival on their physical fitness
.
Outward Bound also runs special courses for youth at risk. The instructors on these courses are specially trained to help this population start to make better choices in life and to better understand themselves and others.
Outdoor education
Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...
organization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year. Outward Bound programs aim to foster the personal growth and social skills of participants by using challenging expeditions in the outdoors.
History
Aberdyfi
Aberdyfi , or Aberdovey is a village on the north side of the estuary of the River Dyfi in Gwynedd, on the west coast of Wales....
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
in 1941 by Kurt Hahn
Kurt Hahn
Kurt Martin Hahn was a German educator whose philosophies are considered internationally influential.-Biography:...
, and Lawrence Holt
Lawrence Holt
Lawrence Holt, from the Blue Funnel Shipping Line, was co-founder of Outward Bound in 1941, along with renowned educator, Kurt Hahn.According to Heathcote , "for five years, Lawrence Holt persuaded his partners to underwrite...
with the support of the Blue Funnel Line
Blue Funnel Line
Alfred Holt and Company, marketed as the Blue Funnel Line, was founded by Alfred Holt on 16 January 1866.The main operating subsidiary was the Ocean Steam Ship Company, which owned and operated the majority of the company's vessels....
. Outward Bound grew out of Hahn's work in the development of the Gordonstoun
Gordonstoun
Gordonstoun School is a co-educational independent school for boarding and day pupils in Moray in North East Scotland. Named after the estate originally owned by Sir Robert Gordon in the 1600s, the school now uses this estate as its campus...
school and what is now known as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Outward Bound's founding mission was to give young seamen
Seaman
Seaman is one of the lowest ranks in a Navy. In the Commonwealth it is the lowest rank in the Navy, followed by Able Seaman and Leading Seaman, and followed by the Petty Officer ranks....
the ability to survive harsh conditions at sea
Sea
A sea generally refers to a large body of salt water, but the term is used in other contexts as well. Most commonly, it means a large expanse of saline water connected with an ocean, and is commonly used as a synonym for ocean...
by teaching confidence, tenacity, perseverance and to build experience of harsh conditions. Jim Hogan served as warden for the first year of the school. This mission was established and then expanded by Capt. J. F. 'Freddy' Fuller who took over the leadership of the Aberdovey school in 1942 and served the Outward Bound movement as senior warden until 1971. Fuller had been seconded from the Blue Funnel Line following wartime experience during the Battle of the Atlantic of surviving two successive torpedo attacks
U-boat
U-boat is the anglicized version of the German word U-Boot , itself an abbreviation of Unterseeboot , and refers to military submarines operated by Germany, particularly in World War I and World War II...
and commanding an open lifeboat in the Atlantic ocean for thirty-five days without losing a single member of the crew. From the inception of Outward Bound, community service was an integral part of the program, especially in the areas of sea and mountain rescues and this remains an important part of the training for both staff and students in Outward Bound, Wales. The first Outward Bound program for females was conducted in 1951. Fuller was seconded to the USA in the early sixties to help establish Outward Bound USA in Colorado and the first Peace Corps training camp in Puerto Rico.
Some of the more notable Outward Bound teachers include James Kielsmeier
James Kielsmeier
Dr. James "Jim" Kielsmeier is founder and President/CEO of the National Youth Leadership Council, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. He also founded the Center for Experiential Education and Service-Learning at the University of Minnesota, where he is also an Adjunct Professor...
, Stan Hugill
Stan Hugill
Stan Hugill was a folk music performer, artist and sea music historian, known as the "Last Working Shantyman" and described as the "20th Century guardian of the tradition".-Biography:...
, Tom Kennerley, Paul Petzoldt
Paul Petzoldt
Paul Kiesow Petzoldt was one of America's most accomplished mountaineers. He is perhaps best known for establishing the National Outdoor Leadership School in 1965. Paul made his first ascent of the Grand Teton in 1924 at the age of 16, becoming the youngest person at the time to have done so...
, Robert B. Rheault
Robert B. Rheault
Robert B. Rheault is a retired colonel in the U.S. Army Special Forces who served as commander of the First Special Forces Group in Okinawa, and the Fifth Special Forces Group in Vietnam from May to July 1969...
, Karl Rohnke
Karl Rohnke
Karl Rohnke is a key figure in the development of adventure education, and was instrumental in the creation of Project Adventure in the early 1970s.-Biography:...
, and Willi Unsoeld.
Name
The name Outward Bound derives from a nautical expression that refers to the moment a shipShip
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
leaves the pier. This is signified by Outward Bound's use of the nautical flag, the Blue Peter
International maritime signal flags
The system of international maritime signal flags is one system of flag signals representing individual letters of the alphabet in signals to or from ships...
(a white rectangle inside a blue rectangle). JF Fuller adapted the Outward Bound motto, "To Serve, To Strive and not To Yield," from the poem "Ulysses
Ulysses (poem)
"Ulysses" is a poem in blank verse by the Victorian poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson , written in 1833 and published in 1842 in Tennyson's well-received second volume of poetry. An oft-quoted poem, it is popularly used to illustrate the dramatic monologue form...
" by Alfred Lord Tennyson.
Current
Outward Bound has evolved into an organization which teaches interpersonal skillsInterpersonal skills
Interpersonal skills are sometimes also referred to as people skills or communication skills. Interpersonal skills involve using skills such as active listening and tone of voice, this include delegation and leadership...
, wilderness survival skills
Survival skills
Survival skills are techniques a person may use in a dangerous situation to save themselves or others...
, and leadership
Leadership
Leadership has been described as the “process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task". Other in-depth definitions of leadership have also emerged.-Theories:...
skills through courses ranging from one week to one semester to people of all ages. Outward Bound has a wide range of programs, from urban programs that seek to help troubled youth to family programs that seek to improve familial communication. Today Outward Bound has 40 schools all over the world and reports serving over 200,000 students each year. One of the latest developments of Outward Bound is a center for peacebuilding
Peacebuilding
Peacebuilding is a term used within the international development community to describe the processes and activities involved in resolving violent conflict and establishing a sustainable peace....
.
Course specifics
- Taking a ready, motivated learner
- into a prescribed, unfamiliar physical environment,
- along with a small group of people
- who are faced with a series of incremental, inter-related problem-solving tasks
- which creates in the individual a state of dissonance requiring adaptive coping and
- leads to a sense of mastery or competence when equilibrium is managed.
- The cumulative effect of these experiences leads to a reorganisation of the self-conceptions and information the learner holds about him/herself.
- The learner will then continue to be positively oriented to further learning and development experiences (transfer).
In a typical modern class, participants are divided into small patrols (or groups) under the guidance of one or more trained OB instructors. The first few days at a base camp are spent in various forms of training for the activities that the course will contain and in the philosophy of Outward Bound, a form of compassionate self-reliance combined with care for others. Activities may include one or more of the following: backpacking
Backpacking (wilderness)
Backpacking combines the activities of hiking and camping for an overnight stay in backcountry wilderness...
or hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
(hillwalking
Hillwalking
In the British Isles, the terms hillwalking or fellwalking are commonly used to describe the recreational outdoor activity of walking on hills and mountains, often with the intention of visiting their summits...
), canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
, canyoneering, dog sled
Dog sled
A dog sled is a sled pulled by one or more sled dogs used to travel over ice and through snow. Numerous types of sleds are used, depending on their function. They can be used for dog sled racing.-History:...
ding, mountaineering
Mountaineering
Mountaineering or mountain climbing is the sport, hobby or profession of hiking, skiing, and climbing mountains. While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed mountains it has branched into specialisations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists...
, rafting
Rafting
Rafting or white water rafting is a challenging recreational outdoor activity using an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on white water or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this...
, rock climbing
Rock climbing
Rock climbing also lightly called 'The Gravity Game', is a sport in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls. The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a pre-defined route without falling...
and rappelling (abseiling
Abseiling
Abseiling , rappelling in American English, is the controlled descent down a rock face using a rope; climbers use this technique when a cliff or slope is too steep and/or dangerous to descend without protection.- Slang terms :...
), sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, sea kayaking
Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle...
, and skiing
Skiing
Skiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
.
After initial confidence-building challenges, the group heads off on an expedition under the guidance of the instructor(s). As the wilderness skills and spirit of the students increase, the instructors ask the group to make its own decisions.
During a program instructors often aim to impart sufficient wilderness skills to assure that everyone can take part in a tradition called "solo". Solo involves instructors taking each participant to a location which is near enough to the group to be safe, but far enough away to allow reflective time alone in the wilderness. At the end of the course, participants are presented with a final challenge to show them just how much they have developed physically, socially, and emotionally.
Outward Bound offers a variety of courses of different lengths year-round for ages 12 and up. Teenagers and young adults benefit by developing confidence and leadership skills. Many adults and companies use Outward Bound strategically for team building
Team building
Team building refers to a wide range of activities, presented to businesses, schools, sports teams, religious or nonprofit organizations designed for improving team performance...
and to return to their daily lives re-energized. Prospective attendees are generally encouraged to work before their arrival on their physical fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
.
Outward Bound also runs special courses for youth at risk. The instructors on these courses are specially trained to help this population start to make better choices in life and to better understand themselves and others.
See also
- Outward Bound SingaporeOutward Bound SingaporeOutward Bound Singapore is part of the network of Outward Bound centres worldwide. While Outward Bound is well-established in many other countries, the Outward Bound centre in Singapore has the distinction of having an 'Excellent' rating for expertise, facilities and safety...
- Outward Bound USAOutward Bound USAOutward Bound USA is the collection of outdoor education organizations in the USA which are officially registered as schools by Outward Bound International. In the U.S., more than 60,000 people participate in its programs every year...
- Outward Bound AustraliaOutward Bound AustraliaOutward Bound Australia is the Australian chapter of the not-for-profit organisation Outward Bound International. Since its founding 1956, Outward Bound Australia has made outdoor education courses available to the community with the aim of developing teamwork skills and raising environmental...
- Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound SchoolCosta Rica Rainforest Outward Bound SchoolCosta Rica Rainforest Outward Bound School is a non-profit experiential learning/ outdoor education organization based in San José, Costa Rica. It is an offshoot of Outward Bound International .-Mission and philosophy:...
- North Carolina Outward Bound School
Official sites
- Outward Bound
- Outward Bound International
- The Outward Bound Trust UK
- List of Outward Bound schools
- Outward Bound Center for Peacebuilding
Resources
- Outward Bound: Philosophy, Theory, Research & Evaluation (wilderdom)
- Profile of Outward Bound UK (intelligentgiving)
- Outward Bound Wilderness photo feed by an instructor (flickr)