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“Words will never suffice all that I have learned during the physical and mental challenges. I am certain that there are no limits to what we are capable of, and I will never forget the pillars, nor the valuable skills, we were taught.”

Estefane

NCOBS alum
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"Stress Brings Strength," Rufus Dalton, NCOBS Board Member Since 1967

Timeless Experience

Exceptional Educators


  • In wilderness, we find great lessons. When students master the skills to negotiate nature’s challenges, they are not only rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment, they also gain food, shelter and comfort; When they fall short, they may be wet, hungry and very tired. Learning is immediate.

  • Our educators are extraordinary. Since the School’s founding, field instructors have embodied a passion for teaching experientially, a love of the wilderness, a broad array of skills, and a belief that Outward Bound can invoke a better version of ourselves. Many of our earliest instructors were pioneers in the field of outdoor education. Today, some of the most experienced people in the profession work for NCOBS.

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    “An Instructor View,” Mary Decker, Former NCOBS Instructor, 1992

In wilderness, we find great lessons. When students master the skills to negotiate nature’s challenges, they are not only rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment, they also gain food, shelter and comfort; When they fall short, they may be wet, hungry and very tired. Learning is immediate.

For many students, their experience with North Carolina Outward Bound (NCOBS) stays with them long after course. The challenges they face, and the people they meet, will have a lasting impact on them. Some of those people will be their instructors, the backbone of any Outward Bound experience.

Our educators are extraordinary. Since the School’s founding, field instructors have embodied a passion for teaching experientially, a love of the wilderness, a broad array of skills, and a belief that Outward Bound can invoke a better version of ourselves. Many of our earliest instructors were pioneers in the field of outdoor education. Today, some of the most experienced people in the profession work for NCOBS.

Watch the Video

“An Instructor View,” Mary Decker, Former NCOBS Instructor, 1992

Experiential Learning


Through experience, we learn. On course, students discover grit, confidence, resilience, and untapped reservoirs of compassion and leadership in a relatively short period of time. They overcome seemingly insurmountable challenges almost every day, far, far out from their comfort zones, and these experiences are transformative. This is experiential learning at its finest – immediate and lasting – the very best teacher.

Wilderness


Wilderness is our classroom. We learn through it, not just for it. It provides us with endless lessons. When students master the skills to negotiate such challenges as storms, bugs, or steep ascents, they are not only rewarded with a deep sense of accomplishment, they also gain food, shelter, and comfort. Learning is immediate. Students quickly discover that in this environment, Outward Bound’s Four Pillars of “self-reliance, fitness, craftsmanship, and above all, compassion” are essential to their success.

Diversity


Diversity is the medium in which our methodology works best. When compassion, respect, and understanding are awakened among a diverse crew of individuals, we are all awed by the simple truth of our shared humanity. This shared experience surmounts all differences, whether of gender, race, politics, religion, or socioeconomics. Together we gain insight and build bridges that last far beyond the Outward Bound experience.

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"Compassion and Diversity," Whitney Montgomery, NCOBS Executive Director, 2007

Geography


Our program landscapes are diverse. Their geography defines activities and provides context for our wilderness-based expeditions, urban challenge courses, and year-round programs. Though our School was founded in North Carolina with its first courses in the Blue Ridge Mountains, program sites have expanded to the Outer Banks, the Everglades, and Central Rivers of Florida, Metro Atlanta, and Patagonia.

Base Camps


The rich tapestry of stories about base camps, passed down by students and field staff throughout the years, speaks to the bonds that sustain us. Table Rock. Green Cove. Sunset Island. Canaanland. Cedar Rock. Patagonia. Scottsmoor. Key Largo. Our base camps not only nurture community, they also provide the exceptional logistical support that is key to high-quality programs.

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“The value of base camps can be summed up in one word: community. Base camps nurture our community of passionate educators and give us a safe harbor to sustain the flame we carry into the field with our students. They are home to the instructors who return year after year to give of themselves to Kurt Hahn’s vision. Base camps are the place where thousands of us have been challenged and supported in discovering that we are capable of more than we know.”

"The Importance of Base Camps," Corey Winstead, Former NCOBS Chief Climbing Instructor

Corey Winstead

Loading:"Stress Brings Strength," Rufus Dalton, NCOBS Board Member Since 1967
Loading:"Compassion and Diversity," Whitney Montgomery, NCOBS Executive Director, 2007
Loading:Chapter 3: Marjorie Buckley with Bill Friday
Loading:Chapter 3: Whitney Montgomery on Compassion and Diversity
Loading:Chapter 3: David Hardy and Ann Baruch
Loading:“An Instructor View,” Mary Decker, Former NCOBS Instructor, 1992
Loading:"We Are Outward Bound," Tom James, Ph.D., Columbia University’s Teachers College Provost and Outward Bound Historian, 2017
Loading:"Compassion and Diversity," Whitney Montgomery, NCOBS Executive Director, 2007
Table Rock
Green Cove
Everglades
Canaan Land
Cedar Rock
Sunset Island
Atlanta
Chile/Patagonia
Scottsmoor
Key Largo
Asheville
Table Rock Base Camp
1967 - Present
Green Cove Base Camp
1974 - 2004
Everglades Location
1974 - 1986
Canaan Land Base Camp
1983 - 1986
Cedar Rock Base Camp
1986 - Present
Sunset Island Base Camp
1986 - Present
Atlanta Location
1986 - Present
Chile/Patagonia Location
1981 - Present
Scottsmoor Base Camp
2012 - Present
Key Largo Base Camp
2012 - Present
Asheville, Main Office
1994 - Present