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2,500km might seem a long way to travel to attend a camp, but the twenty-seven Indigenous students who have returned from a seven day personal development course in the Australian wilderness will tell you that their journey with Outward Bound was much more than your regular school camping trip.

Students travelled from as far north as Cairns to attend the challenging, week-long adventure, held in ACT’s Namadgi National Park. The course put the students’ limits to the test and potential on show as part of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation’s (AIEF) Post-School Pathways Program which assists Indigenous students to develop clear career goals and offers work-readiness programs to achieve them.

The two groups, made up of Year 9, 10 and 11 students from AIEF Partner Schools in New South Wales and Queensland, participated in a Welcome to Country ceremony on their first night on course and completed challenges that align with AIEF’s goals to empower Indigenous children to realise their potential, take responsibility for their own future and develop leadership skills.

Robbie from Marist College Ashgrove said his favourite activity was exploring the ancient boulders of that make up ‘Legoland’.

“I really liked climbing into the small spaces and seeing the big view of the valley,” Robbie said.

“Experiencing something different like that really took me out of my comfort zone."

A ‘Celebration of Achievement’ dinner was held on the final night of the course at the Outward Bound National Base to acknowledge the challenges the students had overcome.

The dinner was attended by AIEF Founder and CEO Andrew Penfold, who said he is impressed by the adventure the students have taken on and hopes they can take home some valuable lessons about team work, leadership and also about themselves.

“At AIEF, we believe that Indigenous children in financial need should have access to some of the leading educational opportunities, companies and providers to pursue productive and fulfilling careers,” said Mr Penfold.

“We identified the Outward Bound program as an opportunity for personal development that helps the students develop the skills needed to define their goals, take on challenges and realise they are capable of much more than they may think.”

AIEF is a not-for-profit organisation that provides boarding school and residential university college scholarships and offers career pathways to empower marginalised Indigenous children to build a future through quality education and careers.

Outward Bound CEO Darren Black said Outward Bound’s outdoor adventures align with the education goals of AIEF and are crucial for the development of all young Australians so they can discover, develop and achieve their potential.

“The course stretches students mentally and physically, but the challenge helps them grow,” Mr Black said.

“They learn to work together and draw strength from each other to succeed, developing the most positive elements of the human character consistent with our core values of integrity, responsibility, resilience, compassion, service and human potential.

“With the addition of the Outward Bound course to the AIEF Post-School Pathways Program, we are determined to work hard with them to provide important personal development opportunities for marginalised Indigenous children around Australia.”

As the leading provider of outdoor experiential learning programs, Outward Bound Australia has been helping Australian’s realise their potential and leadership abilities for over 50 years and delivers outdoor learning programs to thousands of students every year.

For more information about Outward Bound and their courses, visit www.outwardbound.org.au.

For more information about the work of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, visit www.aief.com.au.

Return to Youth Development Programs

Inter-Action Director Greg Smith and Outward Bound CEO Darren Black formalise the OutwardBound@InterAction deal

A partnership between Outward Bound Australia and Northern New South Wales based Outdoor Education provider Inter-Action has been formalised with an acquisition deal that will see the birth of an exciting new endeavour - OutwardBound@InterAction.

Outward Bound’s official acquisition of Inter-Action on July 1 comes as a result of the aligning needs of both organisations; Outward Bound’s need for a site to service the South East QLD and Northern NSW market and  Director and Founder of Inter-Action, Greg Smith’s desire to see his groundwork continue with a value aligned organisation.

Greg said the deal will enable both organisations to formally begin the work of realising their potential as a greater organisation.

“Outward Bound and Inter-Action are a great match philosophically,” said Mr Smith.

“We both focus on providing a mixture of journey and activity-based programs. Outward Bound needed a site and Inter-Action had the strong local knowledge and track-record to match.”

Born of Greg’s dream to run an Outdoor Education and Retreat Centre based on his own senior and post school education experiences, Inter-Action began in October 1995 as a facility built entirely from cash flow, recycled timber from the on-site property and a ‘can-do’ attitude.

After running a program for its first customer in 1996 and making $1000 in its first year, the small organisation began to flourish due to local market needs, cost effectiveness and great, intimate customer service.

Fifteen years later, Greg’s desire to continue his dream beyond his own tenure as Director initiated a partnership with Outward Bound that would enable the teams to ‘share the load’. A long, due diligence process led to confirmation that Outward Bound Australia’s desire for a Northern NSW base fitted well with the region’s market demands and the acquisition deal was signed-off.

Moving forward, the joint organisation will seek to capture the best aspects of Outward Bound and Inter-Action and bring the two together to make OutwardBount@InterAction a bigger, better provider of Outdoor Experiential Learning.

While OutwardBound@InterAction will continue to service all of Inter-Action’s past clients, deliver its own programs and manage its own staff and customer relationships, the organisation’s delivery capacity will be maximised by acquiring seasonal Outward Bound clients and new public programs.

Outward Bound CEO Darren Black said the formation of OutwardBound@InterAction is a major step forward for Outdoor Education on the east coast of Australia.

“The acquisition gives Outward Bound a permanent presence now to grow in South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales, enabling locals to continue to benefit from the life-changing journeys offered by both organisations,” Mr Black said.

“Outward Bound is excited to acquire a solid client base and begin working with the terrific management team at Inter-Action, along with their outstanding facilities, equipment and the benefit of all of Greg Smith’s many years of experience in Outdoor Education.

“We look forward to building on the great foundation that Greg has built over the past 15 years.”

For more information on programs at OutwardBound@InterAction click here or contact Greg Smith ph. 02 6679 7070
or 0429 872 386.

Students reflect on their journey while taking in the beautiful Northern New South Wales scenery

More than 100 St Joseph’s Aberdeen High School students have returned from a five day wilderness adventure with valuable life lessons about perseverance and leadership as part of a continuing program with Outward Bound Australia.

The Year Nine students left their creature comforts at home as their resilience was put to the test in Canberra’s Namadgi National park during a range of challenges including abseiling, trekking and rock climbing, armed with only what they could carry on their backs to keep them warm during the cool September nights.

The course offers a personal challenge to the students of their perceived limits and encourages them to push against the ‘easy way out’. During the course, students learned to develop initiative through taking on challenges such as the ‘Spiders Web’, where they must use their communication skills and trust to help each other through a tricky maze of ropes. The concept of leadership was also introduced to the Year Nine’s through navigation challenges where the students take turns navigating teams through the national park.

Student Chloe McBeath said the course has been very challenging but everyone is getting in and having a go.

“Some things have been really hard, especially the abseiling, but everyone has tried their hardest and had fun too,” Chloe said.

The Outward Bound course has become a marker to indicate a rite of passage for all St Joseph’s Year Nine students and has been part of the school’s personal development curriculum since 2005.

St Joseph’s teacher Alison Tilse said the Outward Bound course aligns closely with the school’s own values and has become an important part of the students’ transition from junior school (yrs 7-9) into senior school (yrs 10-12).

“The program challenges the students in the natural environment without the shields of modern technology and the comforts of home,” said Ms Tilse.

“They are called upon to draw on their own personal resources and to discover and develop leadership qualities such as resilience, self- determination, teamwork and organisation.

“It is very well supported by all members of the school and local community including students, parents, staff and local businesses and organisations. Our students readily refer to OB as an “experience of a lifetime.”

Outward Bound CEO Darren Black believes outdoor adventures are crucial for the development of young Australians so they can discover, develop and achieve their potential.

“The course stretches students mentally and physically, but the challenge helps them grow,” Mr Black said.

“They learn to work together and draw strength from each other to succeed, developing the most positive elements of the human character consistent with our core values of integrity, responsibility, resilience, compassion, service and human potential.”

Outward Bound Australia has been helping Australians develop life skills through outdoor adventure for over 50 years and delivers outdoor learning programs to thousands of students every year.

In addition to its schools program, Outward Bound also offers courses for families and adults - with the longest being an epic, 26-day adventure that takes participants from ‘Summit to Sea’ in south eastern Australia.

For more information about Outward Bound and their courses, visit www.outwardbound.org.au

The 2011 Sydney School Education Expo™ will get a taste of education with a difference this Saturday and Sunday, as Outward Bound sets up a stall to encourage students to unlock their potential by attending a Navigator Course in the great Aussie outdoors.

Outward Bound’s stall will give students, parents and teachers an opportunity to learn about the Youth and Family courses and connect face-to-face with Outward Bound staff.

Over two days, Outward Bound staff will speak to visitors about the challenges of finishing school and transition into adulthood that can be overcome with the confidence, resilience and life-skills learnt during Outward Bound programs.

The School Education Expo™, now in its seventh year, is an award-winning community event which showcases everything educational for school years.

Public Enrolments Officer Phoebe Saunders said Outward Bound’s presence at the expo will encourage visitors to think outside the box about education.

“It’s a great way to open teachers’ & parents’ eyes to opportunities outside the classroom that will help students learn more about their strengths and abilities,” Ms Saunders said.

“Our Youth and Family courses offer an experiential style of education, where teenagers and parents can learn about themselves and connect with people in a setting away from the home and school environment.”

School Education Expo™ Organiser Elizabeth Christie said the expo provides exhibitors with a unique opportunity to showcase their products, resources and services.

“The expo is a powerhouse of information on everything educational from early learning to Year 12,” Ms Christie said.

Outward Bound Australia will be located at booth G6 at The School Education Expo™,   3 & 4 September 2011 at the Sports Centre, Olympic Boulevard, Sydney Olympic Park.

To view a floor plan of the booths, click here.

For more information about the School Education Expo™, visit http://www.edexpo.info

If you would like more information about Outward Bound’s Public courses for Youth and Family please contact Public Enrolments Officer Phoebe Saunders, ph. 02 6235 5709, email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it