On your HIOBS program, you will learn four important Outward Bound Core Values:
Compassion
Integrity
Excellence
Inclusion and Diversity
Some of the most important lessons you take home are learning about yourself and your community while acquiring backcountry skills and having an adventure. As you will be traveling through wild places on your expedition, you’ll also learn to protect and appreciate the unique, unspoiled environments through which you travel.
Gap Year and Semester Courses
Our Gap Year and Semester expeditions are designed to provide opportunities for students to develop wilderness skills, to practice and learn about teamwork, and to foster each individual's leadership abilities. These programs combine the rigor of a series of adventurous expeditions with the interpersonal challenges of living in a small community - which takes resiliency, character, and the determination to succeed through collaboration, compassion, and effort.
Amidst rugged natural landscapes, you are given the opportunity to learn to lead and to follow, to adjust plans to changing realities, give and receive honest feedback, and earn the confidence borne of hard-won achievement. Our Outward Bound instructors coach students to step outside their perceived limitations, to assess risks, and to work together on expedition to achieve more than they thought possible - and also to find ways to transfer these "a-ha" moments back to life at home, work and school.
In the wilderness, you can take the opportunity to unplug from your everyday life, practice these skills, and along the way build amazing new connections that will serve you wherever you go.
Students need to be physically fitand motivated to learn and work together. No previous wilderness experience is necessary—all travel and leadership skills are built and developed throughout the course, and each phase of the expedition builds on the previous one.
What you need to know about becoming an Outward Bound student. Policies, Procedures, and helpful information for all students and parents. Please read it all!
Please review the times and locations for Course Start and Course End as you plan your travel to and from course. You should also be familiar with the information on the COVID-19 Health and Safety page.
Do not purchase any travel tickets until your Course Advisor has given the "go-ahead" to book travel for your course. This message will be in either your Cleared to Participate email or a separate message confirming the course is cleared to book travel.
Travel Details (flights and drop-offs) are due to your Course Advisor 10 days before your course start date. This helps our airport shuttle teams get organized and ensures we have enough seats available for all students needing a ride. You will receive a Travel Form link from your course advisor. Please complete this form, even if you are being dropped off by car.
Please note that your mid- and end-of-course travel needs to be arranged prior to starting your course!
Mid-Course Travel Arrangements
You must purchase your mid-course flight through our Travel Agent, to ensure the group travels together. If you choose to also purchase your course start and course end flights through the travel agent, it may save you time as they know our course details and can also help you find trip insurance outside of the On-Call International insurance outlined in the Course Overview tab.
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