Global Research Update
OBI & the IUCN OBI Risk Management Reviews OBI Resource Centre Looking Forward
**Image: courtesy of OB Oman
The overall goal of the Templeton Research Project is to engage the OB Global Network in an effort to examine how programming has been adapted to promote character across different cultures.
The Templeton Global Research project is progressing well. Collection of data from the 2nd survey sent out to the global network has been completed, thank you to all of the Schools that completed the 2nd survey. We are now in the process of collecting data. Among other uses, those results will be used to identify the final case studies. The research team conducted a “pilot” case study, observing Outward Bound Singapore in May. The pilot was successful; the methods resulted in data that the team had hoped to collect, and the School leadership was engaged, helpful to the process, and had positive feedback about the experience. A second case study was conducted in July at OB Romania with positive results and great support and engagement from the staff at OB Romania. A third case study is scheduled for late September with OB Oman. The project team (Pete Allison, Jim Sibthorp, Theresa Melton, Sarah Wiley) will continue to schedule case studies while also turning their attention to data analysis and dissemination.
Did you know that Outward Bound International is an official global member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature
The IUCN is a membership union composed of both government and civil society organisations and is the global authority on the status of the natural world and the measures needed to safeguard it. As an international NGO member, we hope that involvement in the IUCN will provide OBI, and the Schools in the Outward Bound network, access to the world’s largest community of environmental experts; helping us to advance our own work and deepen our impact in this area.
As members of the OB global network, all OB Schools are entitled to place the IUCN member logo on their website and other promotional materials and to share this information with prospective clients and supporters. Contact Sarah Wiley to find out how your School can get involved and to get the official IUCN member logo for your School.
In September, representatives from OB Canada, OBI and OB USA will attend the UN SDG Summit in New York City. Later this year, Outward Bound Oman students will be presenting at the next climate summit, COP28, in Dubai.
Click here for the latest news from the IUCN and to subscribe to their newsletters.
OBI is part way through completing the 27 Reviews planned for this year. Recent Schools reviewed include: OB UK Trust, OB Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, OB Hubei, OB Singapore, OB Malaysia, OB Germany, OB Netherlands, OB Bermuda. Mike Armstrong is coordinating the Risk Management Review process at OBI, please reach out to him directly with questions.
While in China visiting with OB Hubei, the Review team of Iain Peter and Nick Cotton took part in the 2023 graduation ceremony at Wuhan College. They were honoured to be guest speakers at the ceremony and to share with the leadership, staff and students of the College their experiences within the outdoor education field and within the Outward Bound network.
The Outward Bound International Resource Centre was launched this spring. This is where we store and share resources – a “go to” place for OBI documents and support materials.
The Resource Centre is accessible to everybody who receives the Compass Newsletter to their email address once they have authenticated their email address.
If you are reading this newsletter, than you should have received an email directly from Microsoft inviting you to authenticate the email account you use to receive the Compass Newsletter. Once you have completed this process, you will be able to access the Resource Centre via the following link:
Resource Centre – Home (sharepoint.com)
Please get in touch with OBI's Technology Advisor,
Richard Nelson
If you have any questions or difficulties connecting.
Pre-Symposium Program: Feb. 18 - 21, 2024
Staff Symposium: Feb. 22- 24, 2024
Co-hosted by the OB India Himalaya & OB India Bharat Schools. Contact Salil Kumar or Sudhir Moharir for more information.
* Regional Staff Symposiums are open to anyone in the international community
The European Regional TEAMS meetings (open to all but focused on the region): Please contact Martin Davidson for more information.
The Asia Regional TEAMS meetings (open to all but focused on the region): Scheduled for the first Thursday every 2nd month from 9am to 10am Vietnam time. The next meeting is Thursday Oct. 5, 2023. Please contact Aaron Funnell for more information.
OB Peacebuilding Training, Hosted by OB Finland: April 2024. We will gather in Helsinki for 5-6 days to learn and share. Major topics of the training will include: Experiential Peacebuilding & how OB approaches can help address challenges that youth and adults face around conflict, gender and other identities and ways to creatively inspire collaboration and compassion. Details and registration information will be coming this fall. For more information please contact Flavio Bollag.
Pre-Conference dates: Oct. 21 & 22nd.
The OBI World Conference is for OB School Executive Directors, Board Chairs/Members, Management Team Staff and OB Global Ambassadors.
Late November
Theme: World Conference Reflections
Deadlines for materials (photos, articles, videos, impact reports) to Sarah Wiley by mid November.
We want this newsletter to be relevant to everyone involved with Outward Bound. Let us know what you think we should include and how we can be more supportive of your work.
