By Nick Meltzer
As an Outward Bound instructor, you’re often tasked with explaining to people what exactly Outward Bound is. The shortest description I’ve been able to come up with is explaining that we “build better people.” Now, you might say this is rather presumptuous, but it is a goal that every instructor, course director, and program manager is constantly working towards. Many people think we take teenagers into the wilderness to teach them skills for the sake of learning how to set up tents correctly, paddle a canoe in whitewater, or cook a meal for 12. And while the wilderness skills are an important part of Outward Bound, they are ancillary to our greater goal. We use the wilderness as a classroom, for students to learn about themselves, and learn the values of physical fitness, compassion, craftsmanship, self-reliance and service to others. The hope is that students will develop the ability to push themselves both physically and mentally, learn to problem solve in developing new skills, and take care of themselves in uncomfortable environments. Then, they will take these skills back to their everyday lives and be more successful as human beings and, in turn, be able to have a greater effect on society.
I was talking with another instructor recently, and he reminded me of a phrase that is synonymous with Outward Bound: “Sometimes learning is uncomfortable.” It’s not easy to get into camp after an 8 hour hike the rain, set your tent up, put on (hopefully) dry clothes, and then cook dinner for yourself and 11 people you barely know. The same could be said for paddling rapids in a 16’ canoe with someone you’ve known for a week and skills you’ve been practicing for 2 days. However, as teenagers become adults and leave the comfort of home, they will encounter challenges that involve taking care of themselves and working with others to accomplish unfamiliar tasks. The hope, and goal of every Hurricane Island Outward Bound course, is to better prepare these teenagers so when these unknown situations do arise, they are better prepared as people.