The wilderness is your classroom, not just for outdoor skills but also for inspired personal growth.
Develop leadership and teamwork skills, learn to go beyond your limits, find surprising inner strength or just refresh your outlook through expeditions in the North Carolina Mountains, Outer Banks, Florida Everglades/Ten Thousand Islands or Patagonia. With courses for various age groups and interests, North Carolina Outward Bound can help you discover your true character or gain the confidence you need to succeed in other areas of life. Please scroll down to see more details on each geographic region in which we program.
Use our Course Finder to sort our course offerings by region, age group, activity or schedule. Click View Details to see more information on each course offering to read more about each course. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on the tabs to view photos or videos from courses and testimonials from alumni!
If you have questions or wish to speak with a Course Advisor, call 888-75-NCOBS (888-756-2627) or e-mail.
Click to review our Enrollment Policies & Procedures, Cancellation & Transfer Policies and our Frequently Asked Questions sections.
Our Course Areas
North Carolina Mountains
The Southern Appalachians (which includes the Blue Ridge & Great Smoky Mountain Ranges) are some of the oldest mountains in the world. The range is mostly located in the Unites States, but extends into southeastern Canada at the northern-most part of the range, running from the island of Newfoundland south-westward to central Alabama in the United States. The birthplace of North Carolina Outward Bound is in the Southern Appalachians of North Carolina where the highest mountains of the range reside, the highest being Mount Mitchell at 6,684 feet (2,037 m). Amidst these highest mountains east of the Mississippi, rocky crags and granite outcroppings provide exceptional climbing opportunities. Rivers such as the French Broad, Chattooga, Nantahala and Tuckaseegee provide exciting whitewater canoeing opportunities. Our courses here foster an appreciation of nature and environmental stewardship and often include an environmental service project.
Courses run in the North Carolina Mountains from April to October each year.
North Carolina Outer Banks
Dotted with lighthouses, the Outer Banks are a 200-mile long string of narrow barrier islands beginning in the southeastern corner of Virginia Beach, Virginia and down the North Carolina coastline. The Outer Banks are known for many things, including its temperate climate and wide expanse of open beach front. Just the name Outer Banks conjures up tales of Virginia Dare and the Lost Colony, the Wright brothers’ first flight near Kitty Hawk and Edward Teach, best known as Blackbeard the Pirate, who made his home in Beaufort, N.C.The Core and Pamlico Sounds, where most of North Carolina Outward Bound’s sea kayaking courses take place along the Cape Lookout National Seashore, is located between the Atlantic and the coastline of North Carolina. This unique ecosystem is comprised of ocean waters, sandy beaches, vital wetlands, maritime forests and a series of sounds, estuaries and salt marshes that are home to all kinds of creatures, including rare pelagic birds, raccoons, wild ponies descended from Spanish mustangs, sea turtles, ghost crabs and porpoise.
Courses run in the Outer Banks from June to August each year.
Florida Everglades National Park and Ten Thousand Island's National Wildlife Refuge
Known as “the river of grass,” the Everglades is an International Biosphere Reserve, Wetland of International Importance and World Heritage Site-- only one of three locations in the world to appear on all three lists. Everglades National Park protects the southern 25 percent of the original Everglades. It is the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States. It is the third-largest national park in the lower 48 states. The Everglades are wetlands created by a slow-moving river originating in Lake Okeechobee, fed by the Kissimmee River and flowing southwest at about .25 miles (0.40 km) per day into the Florida Bay. More than 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals and 50 species of reptiles live within Everglades National Park.
The Ten Thousand Islands are a chain of mangrove islands off the coast of southwest Florida. The 99-mile long Wilderness Waterway begins at Everglades City, Florida and ends at Flamingo Key at the southern tip of the Florida peninsula. This refuge is part of one of the largest expanses of mangrove estuary in North America. Approximately 30 percent (8,000 acres) is mangrove forest, 16,000 acres marine water, 11,000 acres freshwater marshland and other habitat. This spectacular course area is an aquatic preserve and is home to a variety of wildlife including dolphins, manatees, sea turtles and numerous wading birds. Some of the southeastern islands in the chain are included in the area of Everglades National Park.
Florida courses run from November to March each year.
Patagonia
One of the least populated regions in the world, Patagonia is a semi-arid plateau that covers over 250,000 square miles in South America located mainly in Argentina but extending partially into southern Chile. It comprises the southernmost portion of the Andes Mountains to the west and south, and plateaus and low plains to the east. The name Patagonia comes from the word patagón used by the explorer Magellan to describe the native people. Patagonia’s unusual wildlife has attracted many scientific expeditions over hundreds of years, including those of Charles Darwin. At over 11,000 feet, snow-covered volcanic peaks are flanked by glaciers, ice slopes and permanent snowfields. At lower altitudes, this area is covered by green pastures, meadows and forests. Our courses in Patagonia include a cross-cultural service project in which students will participate with the local population, an often-cited highlight from staff and alumni of our Patagonia programs.
Patagonia courses run from November to March each year.
There's a course for everyone!
North Carolina Outward Bound offers some "special focus" courses. They are highlighted on this page.
Teen Courses
Under the capable supervision of skilled instructors, teen courses for ages 14-16 or 16-18 focus on self-reliance, teamwork, leadership, compassion and confidence by working through challenges and uncovering new-found strengths. We have co-ed 21, 14, 9 and 8-day courses available.
Girls Only Courses
Currently, we are offering a 21-day Appalachian Mountains Backpacking, Rock Climbing and Whitewater Canoeing Girls Only course in the summer for ages 14-16. This course is intended to give young ladies a chance for personal growth, challenge and self discovery in a supportive environment with all-females instructional staff.
Parent/Child Courses
Together you’ll face the wilderness and see it in, and through, each other’s eyes. Parent-Child courses give you an opportunity to build trust and communication away from the stresses of everyday life. Minimum age of 12 is required. No maximum age limit! A special "duo" experience will replace our solo, a very unique and key part of any Outward Bound course. We have three courses for any parent/child combo (which could be an uncle, aunt or a grandparent as well) in the NC Mountains and Florida Everglades for co-ed, mother/daughter or father/son duos.
College Age Courses
Young adults age 18+ are often focused on what's next in their lives. From college to career paths, a little extra boost from an outdoor adventure may be just what you need to get to where you're going next. Course options include NC Mountains backpacking, rock climbing and whitewater canoeing, Florida Ten Thousand Islands sea kayaking and exotic Patagonia courses.
Semester Courses
North Carolina Outward Bound has an exciting, multi-course area 72-day International Semester course! Offered in the fall and spring, it has often been sited by alumni as a powerful transformative experience. Academic credit can often be obtained. This course takes place in the North Carolina Mountains, Florida Everglades/Ten Thousand Islands and Patagonia and includes a cross-cultural service project in Patagonia.
Courses for Struggling Teens and Young Adults
North Carolina Outward Bound offers courses for struggling teens and young adults ages 12-13 or 18-22 through the Intercept Program. We offer Florida Canoeing for 20-days for 12-13 year olds and 28-days for 18-22 year olds. With the partnership of our sister-school Hurricane Island Outward Bound School, there is also a 50-day Maine to Florida Fall Semester available for ages 18-22.
Adult Courses
Taking an Outward Bound course as an adult can be as magical and transformative as taking a course as a teen or young adult. Adults of all ages enjoy our courses and there's something for everyone. You do not have to be an athlete or have any experience to participate and we've had adult students in their 70s attend our courses! Use our Course Finder to select a course.
Adult Renewal Courses
Adult Renewal courses are popular with adults in transition or who are just feeling the hunger for insight. Instructors facilitate sharing of life experiences in the group and course activities in ways that offer you the opportunity to examine where you have been, where you are now and where you would like to go in life. Our adult renewal courses are 8-day Backpacking and Rock Climbing experiences and a 7-day Florida Ten Thousand Islands Sea Kayaking challenges.
Veterans/Service Member Courses
For over 20 years, Outward Bound has run wilderness expeditions specifically designed for veterans and service members. Outward Bound draws on the healing benefit of team work, challenge, friendship and the natural world, teamwork and challenge. These courses are offered tuition free to veterans/service members. Check out the details at www.ncobs.org/veterans.
Instructor Training
Want to pursue a career in outdoor instruction and learn more about experiential education? On our Outdoor Leader Course you learn, refine and teach technical skills, thrive in real leadership situations and gain practical facilitation experience. Learn the ropes with our most experienced instructor trainers in the Outdoor Leader Course. While on this course, you will receive a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification, a requirement to work in outdoor education.
Educators Program
This course is designed to give educators a chance to be students, working with a group of peers to expedition deep into a National Forest, exploring the foundations of experiential education and refining leadership skills ultimately to return to the classroom refreshed and recharged. This is a very special program that has requirements that applicants must meet to participate, with the support of their school administration.
North Carolina Outward Bound School offers several ways to receive academic credit for your wilderness experience.
North Carolina Outward Bound is not an accredited institution like a university of college. You must work with your school ahead of time to make sure the school will accept your North Carolina Outward Bound course as academic credit. Credit can be earned either through independent study or as a transfer credit from one of the colleges who work directly with us.
If you are interested in receiving academic credit, review our Independent Study Guide for Academic Credit (ISG).
We work directly with two colleges that accept our courses as academic credit, or who can possibly transfer credits to your college/university:
If your school will accept transfer credit, click the links of each college to review their policies and transfer applications/requirements. If you would like to download the documents above, you will need a copy of Adobe Reader (it's free, so download now by clicking here).
Youth courses from 14-21 days have a service project component that some high schools accept as service learning credit. However, before your course begins, you must find out if your high school will accept this course for credit. If they will accept it, be sure to bring paperwork with you for instructors to fill out.
How to Get Credit
| Age/Course Length | 4-14 Days Courses | 21-28 Days Courses | Outdoor Leader Course | Semester Courses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under Age 18 | ISG Only or service project credit | ISG Only or service project credit | N/A | N/A |
| Age 18+ | ISG Only or service project credit | ISG or Colorado | Colorado & WWC | Colorado & WWC |
If the cost of a North Carolina Outward Bound course is beyond your financial means, you may be eligible for a scholarship.
Some of our scholarship recipients in the past have been:
- Parent/Child course applicants
- Individuals seeking answers to difficult personal and life questions
- Young men, ages 16-20, who are seeking direction in life
- Individuals of any age who are seeking to increase their self-esteem/confidence
- North Carolina residents, ages 14+
- Residents of the Charlotte area or Burke or Buncombe Counties in North Carolina
- Minorities
- Young women of promise, ages 16-21, or women over the age of 30
- U.S. citizens under the age of 21 who have a deceased parent
- Teachers and educators
- Educators and professionals who work with disadvantaged youth
- Minorities interested in becoming instructors for North Carolina Outward Bound
- Students attending George Washington University
For additional information on where our scholarships comes from, please view our Giving Information.
Assistance is limited and is awarded on a first come, first served basis.
We no longer offer interest-free loans.
How to Apply for a Scholarship
Through the support of generous donors, we have limited scholarships available for motivated students who qualify financially. Nearly 30% of our students annually receive a scholarships from us to attend courses. The average percentage we provide is usually between 20 to 30% of full tuition, but it is directly based on need and the motivation to attend demonstrated by the student's application. Our scholarship committee will determine how much we can offer you after reviewing each application on an individual basis. We try to help all interested students find a way to make our courses affordable, but cannot guarantee that we'll be able to give everyone some scholarship assistance.
All courses over 4 days in length (with the exception of the Parent/Child course) are eligible for Scholarships.
You may download a PDF copy of the Scholarship Application here.
Along with the completed Scholarship Application, applicants should also:
1). Enroll in a course by following Step 1 of our Planning section. When applying for a scholarship, we only ask for you to pay the $125 Application Fee. Click to see our Enrollment Policies & Procedures and our Cancellation & Transfer Policies.
2). Write a one-page essay (preferably typed, double-spaced or legibly written) explaining why you want to attend a North Carolina Outward Bound course (what are your goals, outcomes or personal achievements/skills for attending a course). This essay MUST be written by the applicant (i.e. parents/guardians of youth applying for courses cannot write this, it must be written by the applicant him or herself). Motivation for attending North Carolina Outward Bound must be demonstrated in this essay for an applicant to be considered for a scholarship.
3). Send copies of your most recent 1040 tax forms (dependents need to send in their parent/guardian's tax forms) or equivalent along with your application and the other materials. If you do not file for taxes, we need something that represents you or your parent/guardian's annual income before we can consider offering a scholarship.
4). Write a short statement (a couple paragraphs to a full page) on a separate sheet (also preferably typed, double-spaced or legibly written) explaining any financial circumstances that we cannot see in your tax forms that will help our scholarship committee determine if there is any assistance available for you. Parents/guardians of applicants will write this and may also want to include their reasons for wanting their child to attend North Carolina Outward Bound.
The Process of Reviewing Completed Scholarship Applications:
It may take approximately two weeks for the scholarship committee to determine if we can offer you a scholarship. Applicants are REQUIRED to follow all procedures and requested due dates to be considered for a scholarship.
We WILL NOT evaluate your request for financial support until we receive and approve the materials all applicants are required to complete and return to us. Any delay in meeting your due dates will affect the amount of financial aid awarded (delays can be interpreted as a lack of commitment or motivation) and your registration status. You will NOT be refunded your $125 Application Fee if you cancel (or are cancelled from course due to lack of communication) before we are able to review your scholarship materials.
When this has been determined, someone will contact you to explain the committee's decision.
If you have questions about anything, please contact us at 1-888-75-NCOBS or info@ncobs.org.
