Outward Bound Atlanta helps students see the world in a new light and understand their role in it.
Outward Bound Atlanta provides metro Atlanta students with experiential learning programs that support and improve academic achievement and ensure students' success in school and beyond.
Through their schools, students are offered Outward Bound courses of varying lengths at key moments in their development. OB Atlanta intentionally supports the transition years of elementary to middle school (5th grade) and middle school to high school (8th grade), the first year of high school and 10th grade, another key decision-making time in the life of a student.
All courses focus on character development. Through a variety of Outward Bound course elements and intentional processing of the experience, students come away with enduring understanding and values. The transference of the experience to life at school and life after school becomes essential. For example, on course, students learn to ask for and give help to others. OB staff help students relate this give-and-take to the classroom and what it means to ask for help academically or to help others as part of the school community. This process then makes the school, their community, a more compassionate place. As another example, students on course learn the virtue in struggle. OB staff intentionally work with students to process fear of failure and to help them understand the value of sticking with challenge. This contributes to students’ ability to stay on task and stay in school. Programs are designed to help students achieve academic success through the lens of an Outward Bound experience.
Outward Bound Atlanta was established in 1992 as a program of the North Carolina Outward Bound School with a mission to affect lasting change in the lives of Atlanta's youth through challenging, experiential learning that embodies the key values of Outward Bound: self-reliance, craftsmanship, physical fitness and compassion.
Outward Bound Atlanta's mission is to inspire young people through challenging experiences to build confidence, compassion and community. We serve students across metro Atlanta through experiential learning programs that support and improve academic achievement and ensure students' success in school and beyond.
Programs
Key Strategies
Embed OB in school curriculum; offer transition year programming; offer continuum programming; create transference; train educators as transfer agents; build network of teachers and students.
Ropes Courses
Outward Bound challenges students on low and high ropes course activities, an opportunity that allows students to embrace challenge and learn to push their perceived limits. OBA teaches students that the skills, like teamwork, trust and perseverance, utilized on the ropes course, are the same skills that can help them to succeed in school and in life.
The Odyssey Course, located at The New Schools at Carver, is unlike any other ropes course in Atlanta. The completion of every challenge requires team members to actively support each other. On the low ropes elements, activities increase skills in communication, critical thinking, and teamwork, while on the high ropes elements, the perceived risk is significantly higher, making their completion more challenging and rewarding.
Wilderness Courses
Outward Bound Atlanta also offers middle school and high school groups powerful learning experiences through wilderness expeditions in North Carolina. This four-day journey develops leadership and teamwork and challenges students to utilize technical outdoor skills while testing their own limits.
Details
Team Course
Team courses are one-day team-building programs for intact groups, primarily from elementary schools. The courses involve ice-breaker games, initiatives and low ropes course elements. Students engage in group problem-solving exercises and challenge themselves. Team predominantly serves 5th grade transition year students, essentially buffering the transition from elementary to middle school for these students by teaching them how to communicate effectively, accept others, make positive and difficult choices and understand the value of perseverance. Through activities and facilitation, they build self-confidence and develop a sense of trust.
Course Elements
Group initiatives, low ropes, reflection
Population Served
5th grade
Specific Curriculum/Outcomes
Specific framing/metaphors related to goals of client (i.e., communication, critical thinking skills, peer relationships)
Transitions Course
Transitions is a year-long program for 8th grade students, designed to lay the groundwork for successful progression into high school by focusing on leadership development, compassion, appreciation of diversity, moral courage and pride. Transitions includes an Outward Bound Club for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students, which meets weekly and runs throughout the school year. The club is co-facilitated by OB staff and educators. Co-facilitators follow a substantial curriculum that was developed in conjunction with school system educators. Students in the club engage in team-building activities, journaling, and specific service projects focused on compassion, diversity and social justice, and environmental awareness. In addition, Transitions offers a four-day wilderness expedition for 8th grade students.
Course Elements
Wilderness course elements can vary but generally include group initiatives (problem solving tasks), rocks or ropes, backpacking, run and dip, personal reflection, solo, journaling, group jobs (cook, navigator etc.) and evening meeting plus lessons in Leave No Trace, campcraft, safety standards, navigation and map/compass to promote some level of skill mastery.
Population Served
Middle school
Specific Curriculum/Outcomes
Students gain an enhanced sense of self and the ability to work with others, which helps them achieve academically, stay in school and ultimately improve community (both within the school and in their larger community).
Endure Course
Endure courses are one-day team building programs for intact groups from schools. The courses involve ice breaker games and group problem solving initiatives, plus low ropes and high ropes course elements. Endure primarily supports students in their first year of high school and focuses on endurance, moral courage and perseverance. Participants engage in group problem-solving exercises and challenge themselves and each other while climbing high ropes. As they tackle their fears, they build self-confidence and develop a sense of trust and teamwork. Teams from schools come together and work to bring the learning from the experience back to their school to influence culture and climate there.
Course Elements
Low ropes, high ropes, reflection
Population Served
9th grade of high school
Specific Curriculum/Outcomes
Specific framing/metaphors related to goals of client (i.e., communication, peer relationships, leadership and perseverance)
Lead Course
Lead courses focus on the full development of high school students (10th, 11th and 12th grade) through a four-day wilderness expedition. These expeditions are uniquely designed to engage students with their peers in challenging environments in order to further develop leadership and personal skills applicable to everyday life at home and school. The program strives to equip them with the skills necessary to make sound career decisions that match their academic competencies with real life academic and vocational opportunities.
Population Served
High school
Course Elements
Course elements can vary but include group initiatives (problem-solving tasks), rocks or ropes, run and dip, personal reflection, solo, journaling, group jobs (cook, navigator etc.) and evening meetings, plus lessons in Leave No Trace, campcraft, safety standards, navigation and map/compass to promote some level of skill mastery.
Specific Curriculum/Outcomes
Students gain an enhanced sense of self and ability to work with others, plus leadership skills, which help them achieve academically, stay in school and ultimately improve community.
Educators Course
Across the nation, educators and administrators are recognizing that traditional education does not entirely meet all the needs of their student body. Students and teachers alike indicate that traditional high school curricula lack challenge and relevance to life experience and career goals. As a result, they are looking elsewhere for relevant and engaging approaches to teaching and learning. Outward Bound offers an effective combination of experiential education and educational methodology that is currently used by teachers in classrooms throughout the country.
On an Educator Course, teachers, administrators, counselors, coaches and youth workers come together to wrestle with the difficult questions facing educators today. Through on site initiatives, our rope course and workshops, they learn about experiential education and how it can invigorate learning in the classroom. As a result, participants are prepared with a deepened educational practice, an increased set of skills for the classroom and an ability to better support and inspire their students’ academic aspirations.
Course Elements
Assessment session, ropes course, two follow-through sessions.
Specific Curriculum/Outcomes
Personal Development: Participants personally discover and develop their potential to care for themselves, others and the world around them when faced with challenges.
Inspiration to Educate: Educators reignite their passion for education by collaborating with their peers, thinking out of the box, and problem solving.
Professional Development: Educators develop understanding of Outward Bound's methodology for teaching styles and student learning, and develop strategies to integrate this into their own practice. The Outward Bound teaching methodology is rooted in experiential education, student led learning and a “community” in a classroom.
Support for Students: Through teamwork, skill development and overcoming challenges, participants foster compassion for what it means to be in a student role and reevaluate how they approach their students’ needs. Educators also learn how to support students who plan on attending an Outward Bound course and how to facilitate the transference of their course experience to their daily lives.
Educators Initiative
Across the nation, educators and administrators are recognizing that traditional education does not entirely meet all the needs of their student body. Students and teachers alike indicate that traditional high school curricula lack challenge and relevance to life experience and career goals. As a result, they are looking elsewhere for relevant and engaging approaches to teaching and learning. Outward Bound offers an effective combination of experiential education and educational methodology that is currently used by teachers in classrooms throughout the country.
On an Educator Course, teachers, administrators, counselors, coaches and youth workers come together to wrestle with the difficult questions facing educators today. Through on site initiatives, our rope course and workshops, they learn about experiential education and how it can invigorate learning in the classroom. As a result, participants are prepared with a deepened educational practice, an increased set of skills for the classroom and an ability to better support and inspire their students’ academic aspirations.
Course Elements
Pre-wilderness course preparation; training meetings which include teacher self-assessment and goal setting; eight-day wilderness course with curriculum developed specifically for educators; ongoing mentoring/coaching calls, crew meetings, portfolio reflections; monthly readings to support ongoing skill-building and confidence in experiential education; two retreats.
Specific Curriculum/Outcomes
Personal Development: Participants personally discover and develop their potential to care for themselves, others and the world around them when faced with challenges.
Inspiration to Educate: Educators reignite their passion for education by collaborating with their peers, thinking out of the box, and problem solving.
Professional Development: Educators develop understanding of Outward Bound's methodology for teaching styles and student learning, and develop strategies to integrate this into their own practice. The Outward Bound teaching methodology is rooted in experiential education, student led learning and a “community” in a classroom.
Support for Students: Through teamwork, skill development and overcoming challenges, participants foster compassion for what it means
Clients
Youth Programs
Atlanta Public SchoolsBreakthrough Atlanta
Communities in Schools of Atlanta
Decatur City Schools
DeKalb County Public Schools
Fulton County Public Schools
Jumpstart to Success Summer Academy
KIPP South Fulton Academy
The Lovett School
Odyssey AtlantaOglethorpe University
The Posse Foundation
Project GRAD
Spelman College
The Westminster Schools
Corporate Programs
Alston + BirdAmerican ExpressArnall, Golden, Gregory
AT&T
Bank of America
Cox Enterprises
Deloitte
Harvard Business School
Hewlett Packard
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.
Jackmont HospitalityKing & Spalding
L.L. Bean
Leadership Atlanta
Locke, Lord, Bissell & Liddell
Marriott Corporation
Morris, Manning & Martin
Nike
Smith, Gambrell & Russell
The Home Depot
Troutman Sanders
