Serving Schools & Groups

Your Impact

Outward Bound Canada's Schools and Community Group Program is a cornerstone of our year-round outdoor education offerings. Thanks to your generous support, we expanded our reach in 2024 by welcoming 23 new groups, engaging over 2,000 additional youth through schools and community partnerships. Your donations gave these youth the chance to step beyond the classroom and experience outdoor learning.

West Coast & Vancouver City Programs

In Vancouver, we have harnessed our long-standing relationships with community groups and schools, in order to break down barriers and grow our programs, enabling youth to deeply engage with the land, their communities, and themselves.

“Before the trip, we were very much just a class, no different from the next. After the trip, we were a community that helped each other to complete tasks that seemed impossible before.”

-Trayce, Student on one of our Schools & Groups Programs

“On top of the logistical pieces that Outward Bound takes on, such as gear, locations, and risk management, Outward Bound staff are really skilled at working with very diverse youth and youth of different backgrounds. For Van Tech LRP it’s really a match made in heaven for a youth group like us, coming together with an organization that really complements what we’re trying to achieve in our program.”

-Teacher Chaperone of year-round school partnership with the Leadership and Resiliency alternative education program

“This hiking journey was one of the most challenging, difficult but beautiful experiences, I am grateful to have had this rare opportunity. It was amazing to see all of the students come together, work hard and experience the challenge together and also independently. It was something you have to see with our own eyes. I was happy to be able to witness this moment in these students’ lives that they will remember forever.”

-Chaperone from Mountain Backpacking program with deaf and hard of hearing students

Toronto Urban Wild & Ontario Wilderness

Thanks to a number of individual donors and corporate partners, Toronto Urban Wild continues to be an accessible opportunity for youth across Southern Ontario (GTA, Hamilton and York Region) to explore the natural spaces within their own city. We know that many youth in urban centres come from families who do not have the means or experience to leave the city limits and explore natural spaces. Donor support in 2024 enabled Outward Bound Canada to expand the reach of the program by providing subsidies, equipment, and resources, allowing more youth to participate, regardless of financial or systemic barriers.

In Ontario Wilderness, we have built pivotal new connections with several community groups and First Nations - important partnerships to enhance land-based learning with Reconciliation at the forefront of our efforts.

“This trip showed me a different way of life. It slowed me down. It helped me connect again with my more creative, quieter side. It reminded me that even though we are all really different people, there is always room for commonality. It was such a gift to have a break from civilization and meet people as they really are. I will be forever grateful to you for this opportunity.”

-Participant on Temagami Flatwater Canoeing course, Age 17

Rocky Mountains

Outward Bound Canada’s Rockies Program offers an unparalleled opportunity for youth to embark on a personal journey of growth in one of the most awe-inspiring landscapes. With donor support, we’ve been able to expand the program’s reach, ensuring that more young people can develop resilience, leadership skills, and a deeper connection to the natural world while exploring this iconic landscape and building key skills in resilience and adaptability.

The involvement of several school communities meant a natural dissipation of prior social divisions related to class, ability, and race. We welcome an appearance by Travis Rider, a Stoney Nakoda Knowledge Keeper, who provided historical context to where the group would be hiking and special knowledge to be in right relation with the land.

“Through test and trial, participants discovered invaluable resources within them, learning about strength, persistence, courage, patience, as well as the importance of looking beyond differences and coming together as a global community.”

-Teacher reflection on the Wilson Battlefords Initiative backpacking program