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 to our founder's original beliefs and goal: to prepare students of all ages and circumstances with the strength of character and determination they need to thrive – in the classroom, in the workplace, in the family, and in the world.
Today, the Philadelphia Outward Bound School (POBS) is proud to be part of a national network of Outward Bound schools in the US and all over the world. Collectively, Outward Bound entities serve around a quarter of a million people a year in over 30 countries and has reached over seven million people in its 70-year history.
Learn more about the history of Outward Bound by joining POBS for its next Circle Up on Facebook Live. Circle Ups are short virtual events where we’ll share stories and invite discussion from our Outward Bound community. Like our page to receive alerts and tune in!
Kurt Hahn's Legacy
This Circle Up dives into the early history of Kurt Hahn and the beginnings of the first Outward Bound school. This session is led by POBS’ Operations Director Dan Hoffman - one of the first Outward Bound instructors to work with students from Philadelphia - and Pete Allison - Director of the Kurt Hahn Consortium for Values and Experiential Learning at Penn State University.