It was mid-morning on Day 5, and these were our final hours together. We were back at Fort Washington State Park, and the students were busy cleaning—water bottles, dinner bowls, equipment—the objects that had been so new to us just five days ago but which had, by now, become a part of us, our routine,… READ MORE >

Lines were drawn in the dirt of the forest floor.  The students examined the final tally, and they assessed how far they had come both as individuals and as a group.  While this task wasn’t the most difficult of their first four days together, it was a significant one.  They were given a minute for… READ MORE >

It was raining hard, the temperature was dropping, and our morning hike had turned into a slog. Attempts at trail games and songs were drowned out by the constant patter of rain against the hoods of our rain jackets. The trail turned to a stream, and our boots were soaked through. No one was talking,… READ MORE >

It was Day 2, and it was hot. We broke camp earlier than expected and made our way north on the Appalachian Trail for what promised to be a long day of hiking. Our destination was a campsite 11 miles away, and for many of us, it would be the longest hike we had ever… READ MORE >

~Matt Norcini, Dean of Student Life “Camouflage!” Jenna’s cry sent us scurrying in all directions around the woods in search of hiding places. It was early afternoon, we had just arrived at camp, and one of our two Outward Bound facilitators had called for a game of Camouflage—essentially, a forest hybrid of hide-and-go-seek and tag…. READ MORE >

Alum of the 2014 Fourteen-Day New Jersey Youth Leadership Corps Expedition Before Outward Bound, I had little to no self-confidence. I was shy.  I had dreams like everyone else, but no knowledge about how to reach those dreams. During my experience at Outward Bound, I learned so much—not only about the amazing world around me, but… READ MORE >