17th National Oudoor Education Conference

Outward Bound Australia has cemented its standing as a market leader in outdoor education with a strong presence at the 17^th National Outdoor Education Conference, held last week at the University of Canberra.

As a Bronze Sponsor of the three-day event and key member of NOEC planning committee, Outward Bound brought over 50 years of industry knowledge to the table, with staff leading open forum discussions and presentations on challenges and innovations in the industry.

The theme of the conference was “The Next Step”, with Outward Bound representatives offering invaluable learning and development opportunities for other professionals in the industry. Topics covered by seasoned Outward Bound professionals included  ‘Deployment of New Technology into Field Operations’, ‘Developing Relationships with the Natural World through Outdoor Education’ and ‘The use of Urban Environment in Outdoor Education’.

Providing an opportunity to evaluate the current standing of the industry, the conference was also a great platform for Outward Bound to touch base with both new and firmly cemented stakeholders and reaffirm its organisational vision and success as an Outdoor Education provider over the past 50 years.

A highlight of the conference was an open forum discussion led by Outward Bound CEO Darren Black about the challenges of sustaining Outdoor Education Organisations in Australia. Darren spoke about Outward Bound’s journey over the last seven years and the organisation and industry’s direction forward.

“Over the past seven years the Outward Bound journey has required the organisation to stay true to its vision, values and mission. However, with no margin there is no mission,” Darren said.

“The key to creating a great organisation is attracting and retaining excellent people. We must stay in touch with the customer and continue to offer safe and quality experiences.

“Outward Bound has been inspiring Australians for over 50 years – what does the future hold?”

This question was addressed on the third day of the conference when a timely topic was passionately discussed at the plenary sessions: The role of Outdoor Education in the national curriculum, a future potential that could positively impact on Outward Bound and other Outdoor Education organisations as a provider to schools.

At the forefront of Outdoor Education in Australia since 1956, Outward Bound continues to work towards resolving challenges in the industry such as this while remaining focused on delivering world-renowned personal development experiences to Australians.

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