Outward Bound Australia
Encyclopedia
Outward Bound Australia is the Australian chapter of the not-for-profit
organisation Outward Bound
International. Since its founding 1956, Outward Bound Australia has made outdoor education
courses available to the community with the aim of developing teamwork skills and raising environmental awareness Australia wide.
Outward Bound's focus on personal and leadership development through outdoor adventure activities has made it popular amongst a diverse array of groups and individuals within the community, over 250,000 Australians aged between 13 and 75 have completed a course. Notably, OBA maintains a number of longstanding relationships with partner schools such as the Cranbrook School in Sydney which has made OBA courses a mandatory part of their school curriculum.
to train young British seamen to survive in the North Atlantic Ocean during the Second World War.
The first course in Australia was held in 1956, three years later another course was conducted at Fisherman’s Point, on the Hawkesbury River
. Warwick Deacock, the first Director of the Outward Bound School, adopted the location as Outward Bound's homebase in Australia until 1973.
Presently, OBA operates from Namadgi National Park
in the south western region of the Australian Capital Territory
but also conducts courses in the Snowy River National Park
(Victoria), Walpole-Nornalup National Park
and D'Entrecasteaux National Park
(Western Australia), Kosciuszko National Park
and Toonumbar National Park
(NSW) ranging from 7–26 days in length on offer 12 months a year. As of 2009 Darren Black has completed four years as CEO of Outward Bound Australia, and plans to stay on until 2011.
As part of the OBA Manifesto (which details the idea of reaching the community as a whole), scholarship
opportunities are available for applicants who demonstrate financial, demographic or socio-economic disadvantage.
In 2002 Outward Bound began to deliver its annual Aspiring Leaders program in to measure responses from the communities it had engaged with. Based on LEQ, participants reported a major change in achievement motivation and task leadership. http://www.outwardbound.org.au/downloads/2008NALSReport.pdf
, use Outward Bound courses as a team building
activity for staff and in order to develop leadership skills for those moving into management positions.
The Country Fire Authority has incorporated Outward Bound courses into their annual training calendar for adult and youth volunteer firefighters for 14 years, using the outdoor wilderness based program to enhance team performance in preparation for natural disasters such as the Black Saturday bushfires that engulfed Victoria in early 2009. In a show of support, the Outward Bound alumni program orchestrated the clean up of a property owned by a Community Relief Centre volunteer worker who lost her home in the fires.
Canberra's Super 14 Rugby team, the Brumbies, participated in an Outward Bound camp and a three day mountain bike ride to Mount Kosciuszko
in 2009 after Stephen Hoiles
took over as team captain from Stirling Mortlock
earlier in the year, and Andy Friend
succeeded Laurie Fisher
as head coach in late 2008. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/24/2752472.htm
, OBA offer several programs to the general public including one aimed at young adults (Navigator Program), a more physically adventurous course (Pinnacle Program) and a lengthy 26 day adventure course (Summit to Sea) which takes participants from Tharwa in Australia's Capital Territory, to Mount Kosciuszko
finally ending up on Victoria's southern coast along the Snowy River
.
) to sequential full year groups of four hundred plus students that schools such as The Cranbrook School in Sydney conduct annually.
In 2009 OBA partnered with over fifty schools, some of which include:
Western Australia
Queensland
Victoria
Australian Capital Territory
New South Wales
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
organisation Outward Bound
Outward Bound
Outward Bound is an international, non-profit, independent, outdoor educationorganization with approximately 40 schools around the world and 200,000 participants per year...
International. Since its founding 1956, Outward Bound Australia has made outdoor education
Outdoor education
Outdoor education usually refers to organized learning that takes place in the outdoors. Outdoor education programs sometimes involve residential or journey-based experiences in which students participate in a variety of adventurous challenges in the form of outdoor activities such as hiking,...
courses available to the community with the aim of developing teamwork skills and raising environmental awareness Australia wide.
Outward Bound's focus on personal and leadership development through outdoor adventure activities has made it popular amongst a diverse array of groups and individuals within the community, over 250,000 Australians aged between 13 and 75 have completed a course. Notably, OBA maintains a number of longstanding relationships with partner schools such as the Cranbrook School in Sydney which has made OBA courses a mandatory part of their school curriculum.
History
OBA's outdoor education courses are based on the principles adopted by German educator Kurt HahnKurt Hahn
Kurt Martin Hahn was a German educator whose philosophies are considered internationally influential.-Biography:...
to train young British seamen to survive in the North Atlantic Ocean during the Second World War.
The first course in Australia was held in 1956, three years later another course was conducted at Fisherman’s Point, on the Hawkesbury River
Hawkesbury River
The Hawkesbury River, also known as Deerubbun, is one of the major rivers of the coastal region of New South Wales, Australia. The Hawkesbury River and its tributaries virtually encircle the metropolitan region of Sydney.-Geography:-Course:...
. Warwick Deacock, the first Director of the Outward Bound School, adopted the location as Outward Bound's homebase in Australia until 1973.
Presently, OBA operates from Namadgi National Park
Namadgi National Park
Namadgi National Park is located in the southwestern part of the Australian Capital Territory, bordering Kosciuszko National Park in New South Wales. It lies approximately 40 km southwest of Canberra, and makes up approximately 46% of the ACT's land area....
in the south western region of the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
but also conducts courses in the Snowy River National Park
Snowy River National Park
Snowy River is a national park in Victoria , 323 km east of Melbourne.Much of the park is classified as wilderness area, where vehicles are unable to visit. The park provides one of the last natural habitats at the Little River Gorge for the endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby...
(Victoria), Walpole-Nornalup National Park
Walpole-Nornalup National Park
Walpole-Nornalup National Park is a national park in the South West region of Western Australia , 355 km south of Perth. It is famous for its towering Karri and Tingle trees. Red Tingle trees are unique to the Walpole area.-Tourism:...
and D'Entrecasteaux National Park
D'Entrecasteaux National Park
D'Entrecasteaux National Park is a national park in Western Australia , south of Perth. The park is named after the French Admiral Bruni D'Entrecasteaux who was the first European to sight the area and name Point D'Entrecasteaux in 1792....
(Western Australia), Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park
Kosciuszko National Park covers 690,000 hectares and contains mainland Australia's highest peak, Mount Kosciuszko for which it is named, and Cabramurra the highest town in Australia...
and Toonumbar National Park
Toonumbar National Park
Toonumbar is a national park in New South Wales, Australia, 617 km north of Sydney.The Park is part of the Focal Peak Group World Heritage Site Gondwana Rainforests of Australia inscribed in 1986 and added to the Australian National Heritage List in 2007.-Description:The park features...
(NSW) ranging from 7–26 days in length on offer 12 months a year. As of 2009 Darren Black has completed four years as CEO of Outward Bound Australia, and plans to stay on until 2011.
As part of the OBA Manifesto (which details the idea of reaching the community as a whole), scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
opportunities are available for applicants who demonstrate financial, demographic or socio-economic disadvantage.
Evaluation of long-term program impacts
Outward Bound engaged heavily in research throughout the 1980s and 1990s to design an evaluation procedure that would accurately measure the impact their courses have on participants. Work conducted by James Neill and Garry Richards, especially the Life Effectiveness Questionnaire (LEQ), is a leading tool for the Australian outdoor industry but as of late has to gain widespread popularity worldwide. LEQ aims to measure the impact of a program on student self-perception from the beginning to the end of the experienced based learning program with particular regards to: human capital, self-efficacy, motivation, community participation, and community support.In 2002 Outward Bound began to deliver its annual Aspiring Leaders program in to measure responses from the communities it had engaged with. Based on LEQ, participants reported a major change in achievement motivation and task leadership. http://www.outwardbound.org.au/downloads/2008NALSReport.pdf
Corporate programs
Australian companies, such as BoralBoral
Boral is a multinational company dealing in building and construction materials. Founded in Australia, it also has extensive operations in the USA and Asia. Boral was demerged from the 'old' Boral Limited in February 2000. The 'old' Boral Limited, comprising energy assets, was renamed Origin Energy...
, use Outward Bound courses as a team building
Team building
Team building refers to a wide range of activities, presented to businesses, schools, sports teams, religious or nonprofit organizations designed for improving team performance...
activity for staff and in order to develop leadership skills for those moving into management positions.
The Country Fire Authority has incorporated Outward Bound courses into their annual training calendar for adult and youth volunteer firefighters for 14 years, using the outdoor wilderness based program to enhance team performance in preparation for natural disasters such as the Black Saturday bushfires that engulfed Victoria in early 2009. In a show of support, the Outward Bound alumni program orchestrated the clean up of a property owned by a Community Relief Centre volunteer worker who lost her home in the fires.
Canberra's Super 14 Rugby team, the Brumbies, participated in an Outward Bound camp and a three day mountain bike ride to Mount Kosciuszko
Mount Kosciuszko
Mount Kosciuszko is a mountain located in the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park. With a height of 2,228 metres above sea level, it is the highest mountain in Australia...
in 2009 after Stephen Hoiles
Stephen Hoiles
Stephen Hoiles is an Australian rugby union footballer. He currently plays for the Brumbies in the international Super 14 competition. Hoiles previously played for the New South Wales Waratahs. He has also played for the national team, the Wallabies.-Career:...
took over as team captain from Stirling Mortlock
Stirling Mortlock
Stirling Austin Mortlock is an Australian professional rugby union player. He has scored over 1,000 points in Super Rugby, and nearly 500 test points for the Wallabies. Mortlock is a former Wallaby and Brumbies captain, and the current captain of the Melbourne Rebels.-Early life:Mortlock began...
earlier in the year, and Andy Friend
Andy Friend
Andy Friend born in Canberra, Australia is a rugby union coach and former player. He was the Head Coach at ACT Brumbies. Following the conclusion of the 2007-08 season he took up the role of Head Coach at the Super 14 club, the CA Brumbies.. Andy Friend had his contract terminated on March 1, 2011...
succeeded Laurie Fisher
Laurie Fisher
Laurie Fisher born in Canberra was the Head coach of the ACT Brumbies between 2005 and 2008. He began his coaching career with the Brumbies in 2000 when he was appointed Head Coach of the Brumbies Rugby Academy and later assumed control of the Brumby Runners and the Canberra Vikings.He implemented...
as head coach in late 2008. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/11/24/2752472.htm
Public programs
With the support of community organisations such as the Lions Clubs and The Smith FamilyThe Smith Family
The Smith Family is an Australian, independent non-profit children's charity committed to unlocking opportunities for disadvantaged children and their families to participate more fully in society, using education as the key.-The Smith Family history:...
, OBA offer several programs to the general public including one aimed at young adults (Navigator Program), a more physically adventurous course (Pinnacle Program) and a lengthy 26 day adventure course (Summit to Sea) which takes participants from Tharwa in Australia's Capital Territory, to Mount Kosciuszko
Mount Kosciuszko
Mount Kosciuszko is a mountain located in the Snowy Mountains in Kosciuszko National Park. With a height of 2,228 metres above sea level, it is the highest mountain in Australia...
finally ending up on Victoria's southern coast along the Snowy River
Snowy River
The Snowy River is a major river in south-eastern Australia. It originates on the slopes of Mount Kosciuszko, Australia's highest mainland peak, draining the eastern slopes of the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales, before flowing through the Snowy River National Park in Victoria and emptying into...
.
Schools programs
Public, Catholic and Independent schools across Australia use Outward Bound programs to support curricula. School programs range from a twelve member group program (such as the one devised for Total Education in WarwickWarwick
Warwick is the county town of Warwickshire, England. The town lies upon the River Avon, south of Coventry and just west of Leamington Spa and Whitnash with which it is conjoined. As of the 2001 United Kingdom census, it had a population of 23,350...
) to sequential full year groups of four hundred plus students that schools such as The Cranbrook School in Sydney conduct annually.
In 2009 OBA partnered with over fifty schools, some of which include:
Western Australia
- Bunbury Catholic CollegeBunbury Catholic CollegeBunbury Catholic College is a catholic high school for young men and women from Year 8 to 12. The College comes from the Marist and Mercy orders and formed after the amalgamation of St Francis Xavier’s College and St Josephs College in 1973.The College caters for around 1000 students on a large...
- Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School
- Christian Brothers Agricultural College Tardun
- Geraldton Grammar School
- Great Southern GrammarGreat Southern GrammarGreat Southern Grammar is a coeducational independent residential and day school located in Lower Kalgan between the King River and the Kalgan River...
- Perth CollegePerth CollegePerth College UHI provides further education and higher education in the city of Perth, Scotland, through a main campus, a network of learning centres and by distance learning....
- Penrhos College
- Tranby CollegeTranby CollegeTranby College is a K-12, coeducational independent school located in Baldivis, Western Australia. Tranby College was founded in 1997, and since then, has gained more buildings and classes for their students. In 2007, the College celebrated 10 years since its opening back in 1997.The newest...
- The International School of WA
- WA College of Agriculture Denmark
- Albany Senior High SchoolAlbany Senior High School, Western AustraliaAlbany Senior High School is a comprehensive public high school located in Albany, a regional centre south-southeast of Perth, Western Australia. The school was established in 1918...
- Boyup Brook District High School
- Bridgetown High SchoolBridgetown High SchoolBridgetown High School is a comprehensive public middle school located in Bridgetown, a regional centre south of Perth, Western Australia.The school was established in 1954 as a high school catering for students from Year 8 to Year 10, and students who are to complete Year 11 and 12 travel to...
- Bunbury Senior High SchoolBunbury Senior High SchoolBunbury Senior High School is a comprehensive public high school located in Bunbury, a regional centre south of Perth, Western Australia.The school was established in 1923 and by 2009 had an enrolment of 917 students between Year 8 and Year 12, 28 of whom were Aboriginal.The school is the fourth...
- Collie Senior High SchoolCollie Senior High SchoolCollie Senior High School is a comprehensive public high school located in Collie, a regional centre south of Perth, Western Australia.The first school in Collie was opened in 1899, when the name of the town was still Coalville. The initial enrolment was for 55 students. The enrolment doubled the...
- Manjimup Senior High SchoolManjimup Senior High SchoolManjimup Senior High School is a comprehensive public high school located in Manjimup, a regional centre south of Perth, Western Australia.The school was established in 1957 and by 2009 had an enrolment of 618 students between Year 8 and Year 12, 37 of whom were Aboriginal.The high school was...
- Kearnan College Manjimup
- Newton Moore Senior High SchoolNewton Moore Senior High SchoolNewton Moore Senior High School is a comprehensive public high school located in Bunbury, a regional centre south of Perth, Western Australia....
Queensland
- AB Paterson College
- St. Stephen's College
- School of Total Education
- Nerang State High SchoolNerang State High SchoolNerang State High School is a state high school located on the Gold Coast of Queensland, Australia....
- Coomera Anglican CollegeCoomera Anglican CollegeCoomera Anglican College is an independent school founded in 1997 that is operated by the Anglican Diocese of Brisbane. It consists of a Primary School , Secondary School , and Early Learning Centre on the same campus...
- Robina State High School
- Miami State High SchoolMiami State High SchoolMiami State High School is a school in Miami, Queensland established as South Coast District State High School in 1963.-Early history:...
- Upper Coomera Secondary College
- Southport State High SchoolSouthport State High SchoolSouthport State High School is a school situated on the Gold Coast, Queensland in Australia. It was the first public high school on the Gold Coast to be opened, originally established in 1916 and moved to its current position in 1954...
- Commbabah State High School
- Elanora State High SchoolElanora State High SchoolElanora State High School is the high school serving the Elanora area of the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1990, it currently has a student body of 950.-Changes to the curriculum:...
- Marymount CollegeMarymount College, Gold CoastMarymount College is a Catholic secondary school located at Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. It traces its origins back to 1959 when Fr Frank Shine was appointed Parish Priest of Burleigh Heads.- Mission statement :...
Victoria
- Beaconhills College
- Catholic College BendigoCatholic College BendigoCatholic College Bendigo is a Catholic secondary school in the city of Bendigo in Victoria, Australia. About 1800 students attend Catholic College Bendigo's two sites. 200 teachers staff the College....
- Notre Dame Catholic College
- Sacred Heart Catholic CollegeSacred Heart Catholic CollegeSacred Heart Catholic College is a secondary school in Crosby, Merseyside, England, with specialist status in Mathematics and ICT. It was created from the amalgamation of Seafield Convent Grammar and St Bede's Secondary Modern in 1976, and was known as Sacred Heart Catholic High School until...
- St. Francis Xavier Catholic College
- Woodleigh School
- Lighthouse Christian CollegeLighthouse Christian CollegeLighthouse Christian College is a private Christian school located in Keysborough, Victoria, Australia.Lighthouse Christian College has been active for over two decades. From humble beginnings in 1989, Ps Richard Warner's vision has been fulfilled, with the school growing to over 400 students...
- Irymple Secondary College
- Chaffey Secondary College
Australian Capital Territory
- Brindabella Christian College
- Canberra Girls' Grammar SchoolCanberra Girls' Grammar SchoolCanberra Girls' Grammar School is an independent, Anglican, day and boarding school predominantly for girls, located in Deakin, a suburb of Canberra, the capital of Australia....
- Marist CollegeMarist CollegeMarist College is a private liberal arts college on the east bank of the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie, New York. The site was established in 1905 by Marist Brothers, and the college was chartered in 1929...
- Radford College
New South Wales
- Ascham SchoolAscham SchoolAscham School is an independent, non-denominational, day and boarding school for girls', located in Edgecliff, an Eastern Suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
- Cranbrook School
- St. Gregory's CollegeSt Gregory's College, CampbelltownSt Gregory's College is a Catholic, secondary, day and boarding school for boys, located in Campbelltown, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
- Marist College KogarahMarist College KogarahMarist College Kogarah is a systemic Catholic College for boys from Years 7 to 12, located in Bexley, New South Wales, Australia.The College was founded in 1909, and has a tradition based on the teachings of the French educator Saint Marcellin Champagnat...
- Albury High SchoolAlbury High SchoolAlbury High School is a state high school located in the New South Wales city of Albury, Australia. Built in 1920, this large school hosts over 1300 students to this date.-Facilities:...
- St. Joseph's High School Aberdeen
- St Raphael's Central School Cowra
- Cowra High School
- Maitland High SchoolMaitland High SchoolMaitland High School is situated in East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia on High Street. Established in 1884 and operated by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, the school currently caters for approximately 800 students from Years 7 to 12, and is situated near its sister...
- Francis Greenaway High School
- Scone TAFE
- Scone Grammar School
- Ulladulla High SchoolUlladulla High SchoolUlladulla High School is a public high school located in the coastal town of Ulladulla on the South East coast of NSW Australia. The school has a student body in excess of 1200...
- Bega High School
- Lumen Christi Catholic College
- Singleton High SchoolSingleton High SchoolSingleton High School is a rural high school located in the Singleton, New South Wales, Australia. It is the 2nd biggest school in the state of New South Wales with over 1200 students attending.Singleton High School has a sister school in Takahata, Japan....
- Muswellbrook High School
- All Saints College, St Josephs Lochinvar
- Faith Lutheran School
- Braidwood Central School
- Monaro High School
- St Patrick's Parish School Cooma
- Coonamble High School
- Murrumburrah High School
- Boorowa Central School
- Young High School
- Yass High School
- Braidwood Central School
- Oakhill CollegeOakhill CollegeOakhill College is a Catholic, co-educational, secondary, day school, located in Castle Hill, New South Wales, a suburb in the Hills District of the Greater Western region of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....