NCOBS Spring Trail Tales Newsletter No Images? Click here 2017 New Staff Training participants learn the basics of teaching students to rock climb THE FUTURE IS HERE: NEW STAFF TRAININGEach year, the NCOBS field season officially begins with May staff trainings. What began in the 1980s as a three-day training is now a two-week course during which new staff spend time in the field backpacking, rock climbing and whitewater canoeing while learning NCOBS policies and procedures. Individuals attending this training go on to serve in a variety of roles as assistant instructors, climbing, kayaking, and river specialists, or logisticians. NCOBS prides itself on fostering and celebrating diversity, and our new staff members come from all walks of life. 19 people participated in New Staff Training this spring—here’s a snapshot of some who will join us this summer:
We are excited to welcome these individuals, and all new staff, to the North Carolina Outward Bound community. > LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR STAFF Students prepare for the unknown by practicing wilderness responder techniques during the WFR Interested in Joining our Community of Educators? Develop your skills! Have you always wanted to become an outdoor instructor, either with Outward Bound or another organization, but weren't sure where to start? Our 50-day Instructor Development Course (IDC) offers hands-on learning opportunities to develop the leadership, teaching and technical skills needed to thrive in the outdoor education industry. On course you will practice Leave-No-Trace techniques as you expedition through the rugged and diverse backcountry of the Blue Ridge Mountains. From orienteering and campcraft in dense temperate rainforests, to rock climbing, rappelling, and paddling class III rapids, this course delivers on its promise to challenge every individual. You will also have the opportunity to earn college credit, a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification, and complete a service-learning project. No prior experience is necessary and scholarships are available! COURSE # DATES DAYS AGE COST The Field Staff Support Fund Did you work as an instructor? Did your instructor have an impact on your life? Every day on course, our field instructors eagerly strive to model the four pillars— physical fitness, self-reliance, craftsmanship and compassion—and to live a life of service, sharing with their students the risks and benefits of facing and accepting challenge. Field staff must possess a wide range of skills to work in diverse course areas with the many populations we serve. This work requires extraordinary dedication, persistence, and resilience. By securing adequate funding for ongoing professional development, we can provide continual learning opportunities for staff that stretch them in meaningful ways and provide lifelong skills for careers during and after Outward Bound. One of the goals of the 50th Anniversary Campaign is to raise $1M to launch a new endowment designed to maintain our greatest asset. Currently, we've raised about 35% of our goal—please consider supporting our field staff through a gift to the fund and help us make it the rest of the way! Ann Baruch with Boys’ Latin School students who received the Philadelphia Scholarship to go on course 50th ANNIVERSARY UPDATESOn April 7, we paid tribute to Ann Baruch, former NCOBS Board member, alumna and founder of the Philadelphia Scholarship Fund. Over the past 18 years, this fund has enabled 380 students to participate in life-changing NCOBS wilderness courses. The Ann R. Baruch Endowment for Philadelphia Scholarships will ensure funding, in perpetuity, for students and educators from our Philadelphia partner schools. > Watch a video about this program You can learn more about the 50th Anniversary of the North Carolina Outward Bound School by visiting www.ncobs.org/50. We have lots of exciting things coming your way! NEW SCHOLARSHIPS Thanks to the generous support of our donors, nearly 50% of our students receive scholarship awards to attend an NCOBS course. Many of the scholarships that are awarded are thanks to named or memorial scholarships honoring the lives of extraordinary individuals. One such scholarship is The Ginger Simms Leadership Fund, in memory of alumna, Ginger Simms. This fund provides scholarships to highly motivated, deserving young women, ready to commit to the Blue Ridge Mountains to Florida and Patagonia Leadership Semester, but who could not otherwise take advantage of this opportunity. 50th ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION WEEKEND EVENT October 20-22, 2017, Asheville, NC Please join North Carolina Outward Bound School as we celebrate 50 years of changing lives through challenge and discovery! The October Celebration weekend is open to alumni, former and current staff and board members, and special friends of the school–after all, each of you are part of our story. The weekend will include Welcome Socials, Picnic Celebrations, and Base Camp Field Trips! So, make sure you mark your calendars, book your accommodations and come celebrate with us! MY SIX-MONTH LETTER | ALUMNI BLOG By: Jamie Burse Today I opened a letter that started “I hope you’re showered with clean nails and deodorant on, but I also hope you remember how normal it felt when you weren’t.” It was a letter a wrote myself six months earlier while spending 24 hours alone in Pisgah National Forest. It was sound advice. I was hopeful that my Outward Bound expedition would be a fun and challenging experience. I never expected it to be as impactful as it turned out to be. |