OBC’s Urban Wild Schools & Groups Program
You are part of a milestone year at Outward Bound Canada as we celebrate nearly 4,000 youth whose lives have been touched by our outdoor programs! This is a big step in ensuring that all youth have access to high-quality, high-impact outdoor education experiences that shape their character, development and life trajectory.
In 2023, thanks to your support, we were able to work with schools in Vancouver, Canmore and the Greater Toronto-Hamilton Area. We were also able to partner with community groups such as Native Child and Family Services, Project Canoe, and ACCESS Future to offer our programs to youth who might not otherwise have access to these opportunities.
A backcountry classroom that takes advantage of all that the Canadian landscape has to offer helps prevent childhood obesity, improves cognitive skills, and enables hands-on learning. In educational parlance, we know that character building and outdoor education go hand in hand: Across the country, ropes courses, mountain trails, and rushing whitewater instill in students values of independence, interdependence, and sensible risk-taking that are important for success in school and in life."
For many of the youth who participated in our programs this year, it was the first time they had left home, been away from family, or learned to cope with social anxiety after years of pandemic lockdowns.
While we’re proud of what we have achieved with your help, we also know that there are still many challenges ahead and that many more young people need our programs to help them reach their potential.