Here at the Philadelphia Outward Bound School, most of our students are middle and high school age, and it makes sense for us to “meet them where they are at.” And where they are at is on social media, mostly Instagram and now more increasingly, TikTok.
And the truth is, for all its lip-syncing teenagers, TikTok can be a source of useful content. Here are some of the reasons why we have created our TikTok channel at POBS (@outwardboundphl).
Get a taste of Outward Bound in advance of your course.
Wondering about what a day at Outward Bound looks like? Our TikTok feed will offer a peek at life on course, introduce you to some of your future instructors, and let you hear from past students about their experience. Have a question about what to pack or what you will be eating? We will be building content around Frequently Asked Questions, so you can get some of those questions answered. By following us on TikTok, you can relieve some anxiety about the unknown.
Get a look at POBS behind the scenes.
Some of our content will attempt to show how we make the magic happen at POBS. How do instructors learn what they know? What do they do when they’re not instructing? Just how much gear does POBS have? (Lots).
Re-live the experience and re-engage with your course, fellow participants, and POBS.
Whether you took part in a one-day team building course or a 14 day wilderness expedition, we hope to create videos that participants can relate to and that can help process some of the feelings they experienced on and after their course.
Share your Outward Bound experience with others.
We understand it can be hard to explain to others what it was like to go Outward Bound, and we think TikTok videos can help. We will feature clips from Insight Days and Expeditions so you will be able to give your family and friends a sense of what you experienced.
Sharpen your skills, and share them with others.
Want to remember how to tie that knot, or brush up on your navigation skills? As our TikTok channel grows, we will post videos featuring skills you learned on your Outward Bound course. Plus, you can let us know in the comments what skills you want to remember, and we will add those to our content list.
Stay connected with us!
One teenage alum told us they like the POBS TikTok channel because it helps them “stay connected with what POBS is up to.” You can learn about other Outward Bound opportunities, see what is happening in the POBS Alumni community, or check out upcoming events at The Discovery Center.
Have your say.
We want to hear from you! What was your Outward Bound experience like? What questions do you have for us? What kind of content would you like to us see provide? Let us know of new trends you like, and help us stay cool.
Not a student? That’s okay, we’re here for you, too!
By being on TikTok, we hope to do our part to make the outdoors more accessible by creating content that anyone can engage with. As we continue to work on diversity, equity, and inclusion, our TikTok channel can allow us to reach anyone that has an interest in the outdoors, which we believe should be accessible to everyone.
Anyone can use our videos to prepare for their personal time outside, whether embarking on a backpacking trip or spending an hour in one of Philadelphia’s many parks. (So after you’ve enjoyed our videos, put down your phone and get outside!)
Last but not least…
Perhaps the most important reason we are on TikTok is why so many others are on it: we think it’s fun! We hope you do, too. Join POBS on TikTok @outwardboundphl.
Bonus Video: for some reason, this six second clip has over 9,000 views!
Note: POBS is on many other social media channels and you should follow us on those, too: Instagram | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | LinkedIn