If your parents ever sent you to summer camp during your youth, you might find yourself anxious to return home to share unforgettable stories around the dinner table. However, you might also reach a point in conversation where you cannot... READ MORE
I kept my journal with a flower from a mountain summit, a penny from a campsite, and the rock I pounded against a log during my solo to scare mice away from my food. All of these items were safely... READ MORE
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