CHARACTER FOCUS EXPEDITION

 A NEW PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

COLLEGES VALUE CHARACTER

Character traits are valuable. Character is now #4 in the top 20 college admissions criteria because character is a reliable indicator of potential. Admissions teams know that character experiences with validated youth development programs are valuable predictors of success in a learning community.  Character indicates college readiness. 

CHARACTER DRIVES ADMISSIONS

Colleges are looking for character. Colleges are pivoting to character-driven admissions, and admissions teams are looking for evidence that candidates have developed character traits that equal social and emotional resilience for success in their potential learning community. Character indicates potential.

THE 2025 CHARACTER FOCUS EXPEDITION

You can help your students thrive in high school today, and succeed in college tomorrow Your high school or youth-serving nonprofit is invited to join this college prep program. Each participating organization will select 7 students for 8 days of:

 Hands-on, group adventure for character development
Social, emotional & physical well-being
canoeing & community
Exploring the Boundary Waters of Minnesota
2:7 instructor/student ratio

INSIGHT, CREDENTIALS & ACCESS

Our program includes credentials for your students, insight for your team, and elevation for your learning community:

character survey & evaluation
character letter of recommendation character certificate
round table impact debrief
impact publication, video & social promotion

A post-program round table will bring together participants, school leaders, and college admissions professionals to explore the impact of the Character Focus Expedition, and the value of character development in college preparation. Students will grow their character out in the field, then post-program, they’ll unpack their experience with college stakeholders.

Outward Bound is offering reduced tuition of $17,640 per crew of 7 students for this program. Participating community-serving nonprofits may qualify for additional funding. Pilot partners will be selected in early 2025.

PILOT DATES:  
June 15-22       June 22-29 
July 6-13         July 20-27 
JULY 27-AUG 3       AUG 6- AUG 13
*Outward Bound will consider alternate 2025 dates to accommodate participating organizations.

Reach out to marlais.brand@vobs.org today

WHY OUTWARD BOUND? 

As leaders in social-emotional learning, Outward Bound has promoted character development and delivered experiential education for 60 years. Since the beginning, higher education has trusted Outward Bound to help students thrive and prepare for college.

The Outward Bound approach is time-tested and validated by character experts:

The Pear Institute
The Noam Institute
The Susan Crown Exchange

OUTWARD BOUND BUILDS CHARACTER THROUGH
4 DOMAINS OF THRIVING.  

try new things - grow courage
connect with people - build a sense of belonging
listen to yourself & others - reflect & learn

These 4 ingredients are a social, emotional, and physical recipe to thrive.

When Outward Bound students try new things, connect with peers and caring adults, reflect on their experience, and engage their bodies, something life-changing happens……they grow their character to thrive

8 GREAT CHARACTER TRAITS

The Outward Bound Character Expedition focuses on 8 habits that, when practiced,
become 8 great traits of positive character development: 

compassion    curiosity    gratitude.   grit.   
growth mindset   perspective-taking   purpose   selfcontrol    

These 8 traits represent a collection of positive attributes that Harvard’s Making Caring Common and other character experts, schools, and colleges recognize and value. 

“When a student goes Outward Bound, I know they've had a real, hands-on opportunity to grow their skills, and a great character-building experience. Outward Bound isn't easy. You learn to do hard things, and you learn to help yourself and others. Trying and failing, and learning from failure? That's grit. Showing up for your crew? That's compassion. Pursuing shared goals and meeting them? That's leadership. If a student has gone Outward Bound, I can bet they've had a chance to grow their character, and colleges are very interested.”

 -Tom Bear, VP of Enrollment Management, Rose Hulman Institute

Reach out to marlais.brand@vobs.org today