When Coach Rastrick first visited Imani’s classroom to talk about Outward Bound, Imani was thrilled. She remembered thinking, “They have that program here?!” Extracurriculars, like sports teams or clubs, weren’t offered at her previous school, and Outward Bound sounded pretty exciting – like the adventures of books and movies. Being a self-described “city girl,” Imani… READ MORE >
Earlier this summer when protests started in Philadelphia and across the country expressing outrage at the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police and the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Rayshard Brooks, POBS – like many other organizations – took to social media to show our support for #BlackLivesMatter and to announce our… READ MORE >
Outward Bound has grown considerably since its inception when Kurt Hahn first developed a curriculum that placed equal emphasis on the development of character and the intellect in the classrooms of the Gordonstoun School in 1934 Scotland. Although today’s Outward Bound expeditions have adapted to the needs of our modern society, our programs remain true… READ MORE >
Since 2007, Emilia Rastrick has been the Health and Physical Education teacher at Lingelbach Elementary School. Emilia has chaperoned more than 14 Peer Leadership expeditions and participated in countless day programs with her students. When Emilia told us that this would be her last school year with the School District of Philadelphia, we were sad… READ MORE >
As an avid backpacker, I was committed to sharing my love of the trail with my daughter, Ruby, who turns two at the end of May. Our hiking journey began at three weeks old when I carried her on her first hike in the Wissahickon. As the months went on I carried her through snow-covered… READ MORE >
Solo time is a special part of an Outward Bound course. It allows students to spend time away from their crew and process their experience on a more personal level. On expedition students are challenged with initiatives and wilderness skill development, then participate in discussions and debriefs to help extract lessons from the experience. Solo,… READ MORE >
Reflecting on his three years as a field instructor at Philadelphia Outward Bound School, Cole Corrigan shared with us just how transformative this work is. When Cole was 22, he had dropped out of school and was working at a bar, when he decided to go on a soul-searching journey to South America. His sister… READ MORE >
Challenge changes us. It can upend our preconceptions and stir up our insecurities, but if we rise to it, it can strengthen us beyond measure. Outward Bound alumni know this at their core. When reflecting on their expeditions this past summer, here’s what our students had to say about the challenges they experienced on course… READ MORE >