NCOBS Spring 2016 Trail Tales Newsletter
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"Perhaps the greatest accomplishments I am taking away from this course are the things I am struggling to put into words. Out here, I have come to recognize my own abilities and my own value. Outward Bound doesn't end after course. It is a journey I'm committed to for life."
-2016 Scholarship Recipient
Dear NC Outward Bound School Family,
Our world continues to advance with alarming speed in many areas—from technology and communication to disease prevention and life expectancy. But as I look around my community, my state, and the world around me, it is clear that human behavior and beliefs change much more slowly. Various forms of violence, oppression and discrimination, sadly, are still a part of everyday life. It is truly alarming that these are too readily dismissed as inevitable, part of human nature.
For this reason, Outward Bound continues to be essential for the way it inspires students to lead with compassion. By sharing in challenges that require us to go beyond comfortable habits, struggling together to achieve an extraordinary goal, we deepen our sense that we are joined at the roots, growing from the same nourishing soil. In the words of one recent alum, “Through this course I have realized the importance of being strong yet considerate, confident yet accepting of others.”
Dozens of programs today offer students opportunities to confront challenge, acquire technical skills, and seek adventure in the wilderness, but it is Outward Bound’s additional emphasis on compassion that sets us apart. With North Carolina Outward Bound School’s 49th summer season upon us, the impact of Outward Bound on our students and society is as meaningful, important and necessary as it was when Kurt Hahn first envisioned it.
As School Director, I am particularly proud of the way our school celebrates diversity, inclusion and compassion—both in what we teach and in who we are. You can learn more about our commitment to diversity and inclusion in our enrollment, programming and hiring practices by visiting www.ncobs.org/about/diversity/.
Hope to see you on the trail,
Whitney H. Montgomery, Executive Director
ALUMNI BLOG: You Can Do Anything for 30 Seconds
As Allan Bassler prepares letters for his son who has left for Navy Boot Camp, he scours his past for experiences of his own to inspire his son to persevere. He soon finds himself thinking of the 28-day Outward Bound course he attended in the mid-1980s and how challenging and transformative it was for him.
Our instructors answer the question, "Why work for Outward Bound?" Find out what keeps them coming back year after year.
DISCOVER YOUR PASSION
North Carolina Outward Bound School’s team of field staff drives our mission, inspires leadership and character development in our students, and makes us the leader in experiential and outdoor education.
Field staff return to work for NCOBS time and time again because of the lives they’ve touched, the friendships they’ve built and the mentoring, development, and inspiration our community provides. It is no wonder NCOBS has been voted one of Outside Magazines' Best Places to Work and one of Nonprofit Times Best Nonprofits to Work for two years in a row!
> FIND A CAREER WITH NCOBS or ENROLL IN INSTRUCTOR DEVELOPMENT
INSTRUCTOR INSIGHT: Walking Off The Map
By Shane Ambro, NCOBS Instructor
Our Spring 72-Day International Leadership Semester course hosted 11 students ranging from ages 18-23, from all over the country. Together they traveled to Patagonia, the Florida Everglades, and the mountains of North Carolina. They did A LOT together and I had the distinct privilege of instructing both the Everglades and mountain phases of their expedition.
Charting the Course
One of the more memorable experiences from the expedition, which students still talked about at the end of the course, was the Shark River Slough. Another instructor and I were their fearless leaders, and we were charting a route through the Everglades that had some unknowns. While we had talked with other instructors who had done it, their words of wisdom were a little convoluted; they included things like: “follow the water,” “look for the research station,” or “walk towards the strand of trees in the distance.” My favorite was, “go to the Gulf, then turn right.”
STAFF Q&A: Alessia
As we welcome warm weather and clear blue skies to the mountains and rivers of Western North Carolina, our Town Office has begun to fill with instructors and other field staff. We sat down with Alessia Faverio, a three-season veteran whitewater instructor, to talk about her work with NCOBS.
During your time as an instructor, has there been a moment that stands out for you?
I think anytime that someone runs a rapid for the first time is really amazing. The look on their face once they are done is great!
NCOBS ANNOUNCES NEW COURSE OFFERING
Starting this fall, NCOBS will join four other US Outward Bound schools in offering a new kind of program called Pathfinder.
Pathfinder expeditions are designed for young adults who need help finding direction. These courses help emerging adults explore their strengths and values, identify future goals, and create an action plan for the future.
Course Details
Locations: Blue Ridge Mountains, FL Coast and Rivers
Length: 30-days
Ages: 18-25
LIMITED NUMBER OF SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE
Our mountain base camps are bustling and our summer calendar is filling up fast! Make sure you give your child the courage and confidence this summer to do anything they set their mind to.
Featured Courses:
Backpacking & Whitewater Canoeing - Ages 14-16
Backpacking, Rock Climbing and Whitewater Canoeing - Ages 16-18
STEWARDSHIP IN FLORIDA
NCOBS is proud to announce our membership in the Everglades Coalition, an alliance of more than 50 environmental and conservation organizations dedicated to restoring the Everglades ecosystem.
This important ecosystem is both a classroom for our students and a home to thousands of species of plants and animals. Our involvement in its restoration, combined with our ongoing practice of environmental service projects and Leave No Trace, is further evidence of our commitment to being part of the solution of conserving and restoring this precious ecosystem.
