In recent years, the discussion of how children succeed has focused a great deal on the importance of grit. In their 2012 “Back to School” broadcast, This American Life showcased research showing the relative importance of “non-cognitive skills” compared to... READ MORE

Just like our staff and students, our sled dogs come from all over. Some are born right in the yard, products of selective breeding of our best dogs. We can trace some of these dogs’ lineages back to the dogs... READ MORE

Walking into the Voyageur Outward Bound School dog yard is an experience like none other. The dogs sense your intentions and howl at your approach. As you turn the corner into the yard, the most eager dogs jump on top... READ MORE

On more than a few occasions, the phrase “Everything I learned in in graduate school, I learned at Outward Bound first” has flashed into my consciousness. It first crossed my mind while I sat at a black lab table listening... READ MORE

As the teasing breath of autumn interrupted the end of July, many of our staff began longing for September.  A quick, unscientific survey of veteran instructors confirmed our initial suspicions: fall is the best time to travel in the Boundary... READ MORE

Students and families frequently write us after they return home from Outward Bound and start transferring what they learned on their course to their lives.  Every so often, we receive a testimonial so true to the spirit of Outward Bound... READ MORE

“Everyone grab your quick-dry pants,” I hear the instructor say. He’s reading every item on the packing list in front of a row of new Voyageur Outward Bound students. “Now get out your long-sleeved sun shirt.” The teenagers pull out... READ MORE

We couldn’t wait any longer to paddle, so we took a canoe to the ice. Spring happened to appear while we were out there. The canoe’s aluminum bow slammed into the ice sheet. I dug my paddle into the ice,... READ MORE

Around 10pm on September 4th, 2012, fifteen Outward Bound instructors rode crammed in a van driving down MN-11, which roughly follows the border between Minnesota and Ontario. After twelve hours of driving back from the Bloodvein River, we were still... READ MORE

I am often shocked by autumn in the Boundary Waters. I am used to the dead heat of summer, when the forest seems an uninterrupted sea of evergreen. Friendly firs insulate portages from the rest of the woods, and straight-trunked... READ MORE