What is Intercept?

Growing up is tough, we get it.

That's why we created our Intercept – 28 or 50-day wilderness expeditions for struggling teens, young adults, and their families. When things get tough for teens or young adults and their families, Intercept is an option. 

Intercept is designed to disrupt and provide a new way forward.

Intercept students embark on a journey that interrupts their current routine with a life-changing adventure, and blazes a new trail forward. Our Intercept program offers support, adventure, challenge, peer connection and skill work. The goal is to help young people and their families unlock the skills to rise through and beyond adversity. We help young people identify, develop and practice skills during exciting expedition where individual strengths and teamwork contribute to the success of self, and crew. Intercept does more than resolve destructive behavior. 

Intercept is designed to: 

• cultivate communication skills 
• develop decision-making skills
• strengthen interpersonal relationships 
• connect peers
• provide family resources 
• build life skills
• grow a positive impact
• increase confidence 
• inspire hope 

For 60 years, Voyageur Outward Bound has helped young people develop skills for success. Our compassionate, experienced instructors help teens, young adults and families find healthier ways to interact with one another and their communities. Intercept supports students and families before, during, and after the expedition. Each Intercept program concludes with an intensive family conference and workshop to unpack the Intercept experience and apply its lessons to everyday life. Our Intercept students and their families walk away with a new outlook, new skills and plan for success. 

At Outward Bound, our mission is to change lives through challenge and discovery. Intercept is the heart of this mission. Voyageur is the only Outward Bound school in the world that delivers Intercept, and we are proud to provide on-of-a-kind challenge and discovery program for future leaders and their families.  

"Intercept did not save me. Outward Bound doesn't save people. Outward Bound gives people a chance to figure out who they are and who they want to be. Intercept gave me an opportunity to figure out how I want to show up in this world. Intercept gave me a chance to decide how I want to respond and react in any given situation. I had the time and space to consider that and figure it out." 

-Nate, Intercept alum

"Well, we felt like we really had no choice. Nate needed a break. We needed a break. Something really needed to change drastically. We felt like Nate needed something really different, something life-changing. One of the biggest changes I see in Nate is patience. He has patience to do the work, and the patience to be with us" 

-Andrea, Nate's Mom

See our Essential Eligibility Criteria