Outward Bound is Exactly What Youth Need Right Now

The Learning Lab’s mission is to inspire and maintain a reflective learning community throughout Outward Bound. We strive to collaborate, innovate, and evaluate for the good of all our students. We want these community conversations to be for everyone, to mix our members, unite around ideas and then go out and do what we do, in all the ways we affect Outward Bound students. Research points consistently to four things that youth need right now:

• Safe and in Control

• Connection

• Experiences

• Reflection
  

Looks like Outward Bound! The focus here is on the first two.

SAFE AND IN CONTROL We’re in the growth business, but the flipside of growth is safety. Our heads tell us to be safe at the same time our hearts urge us to grow. So, which one first? Safety. One of the main ways we do that is by taking our deliberately unpredictable, adventurous world, our novel setting, and making it more predictable. We help students to feel safe and in control through consistencies and choice.

Consistencies: Staff create and reinforce consistency in routines and systems in order to foster student’s independence and offer an organized, predictable and efficient learning environment.

How we structure our courses is critical. Here are examples:

• Intentional about things we can control, like clear expectations

• Help them know when their basic needs will be met through daily routine, agreements, role descriptions

• Visuals that students have access to: like group journals, expedition calendars, reminders of important processes

• The clearer the consistencies are, the easier it will be to start letting them take control – giving them that sense of agency

Choice: Students make decisions and are encouraged to take personal responsibility for their choices.

Let them win in the small things and work with them on the big things. If no one works with them on big things, how will they ever know how to do it? If we don’t let them win—which means taking on the consequences of small things—then it’s easy for life to be overwhelming and hard to be resilient.

We put them in the driver’s seat early with small choices. If they don’t have consistencies early, they won’t make the choices later. We give the “what” and “why” and they can choose the “how.” Here are some examples:

• How much? Group gear is pre-divided into piles, you explain why there are some heavier and lighter pile and why certain things are together, they choose what they carry.

• How high? They don’t get to choose the climbing day or its purpose, but they can decide which purpose they identify with, and certainly how they engage with the day.

• How they divide up work can be largely up to them. Sometimes they get to pick roles, and at other times they get to decide how a role gets carried out.

• How long – students can have a lot of say in how long things take to accomplish and even set goals, be the realistic or far off possibility.

It’s action/consequence. We want them to make choices and work directly with the consequences. Reflecting on those choices: what worked and what didn’t, they are grounded in the opportunity to make a similar choice next time.

CONNECTION The second reason that Outward Bound is perfect for people right now is because of our strength. It is belonging, and it starts with how our instructors build relationships with students.

Attentive: Staff listen to students, acknowledge their needs and their contributions to the group and get to know them by participating in the group.

Because we’re so practiced at this, we need to watch out for making some assumptions, starting with assuming that it is just going to happen because it always does. Suggestions:

• Set a goal to have at least one authentic individual connection with each student in the first 24 hrs. – make a plan for how to fit this in. You want to look them in the eye and ask them a question you genuinely care about.

• Use a daily “wellness check” around dinner time – one instructor checks in with each student on any physical needs (e.g., hot spots) and asks how they are doing emotionally as well.

• Day program – connect with each individual as they introduce themselves – e.g., welcome ____ I’m so glad you’re here today, welcome ___ I love (that thing they used in their introduction) too! It’s about being noticed, and our staff are good at noticing, noting and really encouraging our students to be themselves.

Connections: Students have fun together and explore common ground in order to create and maintain supportive relationships.

Fun is more than excitement; it’s learning and success! Common ground can be found in many places, but sometimes we must highlight it. Here are some suggestions for approaching it this year:

• Don’t assume all of this will happen on its own. Make time for it.

• Lead with fun.

• Structure activities for the whole group to get to know each other but also for pairs or trios to get to know each other, like in interviews or small group activities.

• Don’t rely on people talking in the big group – use lots of pair shares

• Over time you can feel out if they are interested in processing the pandemic together. Don’t push that.

• We can help students build connections before they even show up. Use virtual engagement if it seems appropriate.

DOMAINS OF THRIVING

These four practices come from The Domains of Thriving, our framework for teaching and observing the best staff practices that help our students develop social and emotional skills. We’re shining a light on excellent OB.

Outward Bound is an amazing opportunity for kids right now.

As you digest this, think, what do you hope for your students this year?