Workshops and Panel Discussions

Panel Conversations – Governance

The role of board members/trustees in governance of Outward Bound will be examined from several perspectives. The balance of responsibilities of Board members and management staff will be one area of discussion. How to recruit appropriate Board members that match the needs of the organization is another area of discussion. The panel will also address job descriptions of Board officers and structure for effective governance, including tenure and rotation.

Panel Members

Chien Lee, Past Chairman OB Hong Kong, Vice Chairman OBI and former Board member Stanford University
Mary Thomson, Counsel McCarthy Tétrault LLP in Toronto, Board member OB Canada, OBI Safety Committee
Lorna Wendt, OBI Vice Chairman
Charitha Ratwatte, Chairman OB Sri Lanka and OBI Board Member
Trevor Taylor, Executive Director, OB New Zealand

Panel Conversations – Global Programs

Programs involving participants from two or more countries have been expanding as the need to operate in global community becomes more evident. Outward Bound has offered a variety of bilateral and multi-national programs to address this need and some learning points will be shared.

Panel Members

Nicholas Conceiao, Director, OB Singapore will address Overseas Youth Program
Will Ripley, Operations Manager, OB UK will explain their Global Programs
Jen Nold, Program Manager, OB Belgium will address the international INSEAD approach
Mark Norman, Director, OB Bermuda will explain their recent International Goodwill Challenge
Jim Rowe, Executive Director CRROBS will discuss the marketing approach they take that attracts participants from Latin America, Europe, North America and Australasia

Panel Conversations – Risk Management

The OBI Safety Review system has been in place for over 6 years now and well accepted. Because the system is working well this may be the time to look at how to change it and keep it relevant and efficient! This workshop will present the experience both of Safety Review leaders and the perspective of OB Centers of various sizes. We are fortunate that OB Risk Management Committee Chairman, Sir Chris Bonington, will be on hand to moderate the discussion.

Panel Members

Ian Wade, OBI Executive Director
Steve Hall, School Director, OB New Zealand
Jim Rowe, Director, Costa Rica Rainforest Outward Bound School
Lewis Glenn, Vice President for Safety, OB USA
Nicholas Conceiao, Director, OB Singapore

Panel Conversations – Professional Programs

Programs serving people in the workplace have been a core part of Outward Bound since its inception. The core competencies of Outward Bound in serving a corporate market will be examined in this discussion. Latest trends in the kind of service Outward Bound is asked to provide will be addressed. Finally the potential for Outward Bound to offer unique solutions to multi-national corporations will be explored.

Panel Members

Jen Nold, Professional Program Director, OB Belgium
Bob Gordon, Director, OB Pro USA
Ronnie Tan, Director Professional Programs, Outward Bound Singapore
Raj Subramaniam, Director, OB Sri Lanka
Dieter Reinig, Director OB Pro, Germany
David Wolfenden, Director, OB Canada
Will Ripley, Operations Director, OB UK
Rona Davidson, Professional Program Manager, OB New Zealand

Panel Conversations – Quality Improvement Process Review

OBI has spent over two years developing and field testing a Quality Improvement Process Review (QIP). Based on the same principles as the Quality Award programs used in business and industry, this framework for business planning and management has been customized to Outward Bound operations. The experience of several OB centers that have used the QIP will be presented and the process for using it explained.

Panel Members

Djoko Kusumowidagdo, Chairman, OB Indonesia
Nicholas Conceiao, Director, OB Singapore
John Hasell, Global Advisory Council Member
Ian Wade, OBI Executive Director

Workshop – Global Deals and Corporate Sponsors

Are there global purchasing opportunities for Outward Bound to sources deals and leverage the worldwide volume of equipment purchased and used? How might this extend into training, etc? In a related inquiry the potential for corporate sponsorships will be examined and how that might scale up from individual centers to "all" centers.

Workshop Leader: David Wolfenden, Director, OB Canada

Workshop – Outsourcing Staff

This workshop outlines a process that identifies peak pressure times within a yearly program and rather than overstaffing all year to cater for the peak periods, identifies low season OB schools and arranging for staff to be outsourced. A case study of OB Hong Kong, that currently uses good quality instructors from OB Australia, Japan, South Africa and UK for seasonal work, will be presented. The workshop explores a win-win business arrangement between schools that utilize Outward Bound’s most valuable resource – its field staff.

Workshop Leader: Jon D'Almeida, Director, OB Hong Kong

Workshop – Women of Courage

Women of Courage is an Outward Bound Canada program designed for women survivors of violence. These women live through a healing process that spirals experientially towards empowerment. Through role-playing during different activities, the audience will come to understand the value an outdoor experiential experience can have in the process of healing and empowerment. Please note that the workshop is dependant on attendee’s willingness to participate in activities and discussions surrounding the experiential healing process.

Workshop Leader: Nicki Mosley, Community Programs Coordinator, OB Canada

Workshop – Web Based Personality and Team Culture Test

The importance of working with scientific models in delivery of OB Professional programs is highlighted. It is a way to distinguish OB from incentive-oriented outdoor competitors. The model developed in OB Germany will be presented in a live-demonstration. Some participants can fill out the questionnaire and will get instant results: graphic and text. How to integrate the model in training set ups will be explained.

Workshop Leader: Dieter Reinig, Executive Director, OB Germany Professional

Workshop - Marketing: Communicating with your Markets

Outward Bound New Zealand is experiencing unprecedented demand for its courses. 40% up on the same period as last year. A Case Study on the initiatives that Outward Bound New Zealand has undertaken to ensure that it reaches and penetrates all sectors of its markets from youth, adult, professional, elite sports, social sector, disability and custom design. While these initiatives would seem to be paying off what are they doing to ensure that they continue to sell the message of Outward Bound to this diverse market group and to maintain and grow this level of demand in an ever changing environment?

Workshop Leader: Rona Davidson - Account Manager, Outward Bound Professional New Zealand. Rona's focus for the last two years has been on developing a strong professional brand in the New Zealand business world, and building credibility in two main areas. First as being the top provider of a Professional Leadership Development program open to all organizations to send their staff, and secondly in the customizing of programs tailored to individual organizational needs. .

Workshop – The Journey of Outward Bound New Zealand. A Strategic Planning Process to take you Forward

Why was Outward Bound New Zealand voted by its staff as the "Best Place to Work In New Zealand." In the early 1990’s Outward Bound New Zealand started on a journey to ensure that it was still in 50 years time meeting and exceeding the personal development needs of New Zealanders through the delivery of quality course outcomes in a safe and supportive environment. Its been an exciting and challenging journey, cumulating in this year be Voted by its staff out of 200 nationwide organizations as "The Best Place to Work In New Zealand" and being used by the New Zealand Governments Department of Labour as a case study in their promotion of "Work Place Productivity Initiatives." Forward bookings are up 40% and courses are going in full. However that's the "past" and often when objectives are meet organizations fall off the crest of the wave. The environment is ever changing, so what is Outward Bound New Zealand doing to ensure that it will still be going strong in 2050.

Workshop Leader: Trevor Taylor, CEO Outward Bound New Zealand; Steve Hall, School Director.

Workshop: Active Listening, Questioning Skills & Coaching Conversations

This workshop will help participants increase self-awareness of their current skill level at active listening and questioning skills through interactive sessions, self-assessment and peer feedback. A coaching conversation model will be introduced that can assist anyone from instructors to Directors to Board members in facilitating conversations that maximize responsibility and accountability. Coaching conversation practice using participant's REAL challenges and three-way feedback will provide powerful learning that can be applied in your own work environments.

Workshop Leader: Cathy Bernatt, President of Creating based in Tokyo and International Program Coordinator for Outward Bound Japan.

Workshop: Research and Development: The Process of Curriculum Review at OB New Zealand

In 2004, OBNZ committed to a 2-year Research & Development project aimed at reviewing current practice. This was a rigorous & meticulous undertaking which involved the input from all staff throughout the organization as well as using external ‘expert’ knowledge. The review was carried out to ensure relevance of course content, to achieve consistency in delivery, and to achieve organizational alignment of understanding within an increasingly complex, diverse & dynamic environment. In short, the project was an integral part in the strategic process of moving OBNZ from ‘good’ to ‘great’. This presentation will highlight how this process was carried out and will share the findings of the review to date.

Workshop Leader: Ross Morton is originally from Scotland where he accumulated a wide & varied knowledge of outdoor education through both practice and study to a post-graduate level. He has been with Outward Bound New Zealand for 6 years and is currently the Curriculum & Learning Manager at OBNZ.

Workshop: What is the Magic of Outward Bound?

This three part workshop will provide an overview of what participants and researchers say about the outcomes of Outward Bound and how the process that has produced these life changing results is so often referred to as magic. The second part will involve small groups sharing and recording their views the key components of an Outward Bound Course. They will try to answer the question, “Why does each of these experiences produce the results they do?” The final part will involve each group reporting back their findings, followed by a general discussion designed to integrate them into a final report for general circulation.

Workshop Leader: John Hasell. An ex-OB Instructor, Chief Instructor, School Director, Executive Director and Board Chairman, John is a 45 year member of the OB community. A freelance explorer of possibilities, he helps organizations make the very best use of their resources. Educated in Britain, he now lives with his wife, Sue, in Victoria, British Columbia, having been involved in launching both of Canada’s Outward Bound Schools. He has conducted Staff Training for OB Schools in Britain, Canada, Hong Kong, Lesotho, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Indonesia and Taiwan, and this will be the seventh International OB Conference at which he has facilitated workshops.

Workshop – Outward Bound’s Experience and Potential in Peacebuilding

The presentation and facilitated discussion will address the experience of Outward Bound in the past and present with regard to Peacebuilding programs in situations of conflict. The discussion will also focus on Outward Bound’s potential expansion in this area based on recent research, pilots, potential partnerships, seed funding and analysis. Participants will leave the workshop with additional tools and resources for developing such programs as well as the opportunity to be engaged in a global team for expanding Outward Bound’s work in the field of peacebuilding.

Workshop Leaders:

Elizabeth Anglin is currently serving as Interim Vice President, Development, for Outward Bound U.S.A. and is completing a Masters in Public Policy and Administration: International Economic Policy and Finance at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.
Tom Glaisyer is a graduate of Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs an experienced business consultant. Tom is currently working on a project linking internationally focused foundations as well as a network of international NGOs in collaborative work.
Ken Small is a Trustee of Outward Bound South Africa. His service includes: Strategic Planning Advisor for the UNDP; Project Manager at the Development Bank of Southern Africa; and Marketing Director for the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C.
Shira Loewenberg is a consultant to non-governmental organizations dealing with a variety of international issues. In the mid-1990s, she was part of two United Nations peacekeeping missions in the former Yugoslavia, where she witnessed first-hand the complexities inherent in war and post-conflict peacebuilding. Her prior work includes more than a decade of documentary film and television production and management. Shira has a master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Workshop – OB South Africa: An Initial Assessment

The results of an initial evaluation of the Outward Bound South Africa program will be presented. Research on several hundred students who went through the program in Fall 2005 and Spring 2006 will be contrasted with a comparison group of similar students going through a values-based program. For both groups, there will be pre- and post-test measures on 16 variables, and comparison data. Findings from site visits to Outward Bound camps in South Africa and the referring townships and schools will be presented, drawing on interviews and focus groups with students, alumni, instructors, and their teachers and principals.

The workshop will discuss the increasing value of research, in both the private and public sector, as a means to procure funding and to establish legitimacy of purpose. Finally research priorities for the Outward Bound network will be reviewed.

Workshop Leaders: Dr. Karen Carroll Mundy and Dr. Bennett M. Judkins

Role of Experimental Learning in Conflict Management and Peace Building in the Great Lakes Region

The workshop will survey on the Nature and courses of Conflicts in Africa, and their effects specifically to the young people. It will also focus on a number of initiatives at conflict resolution, and promoting peace and tolerance. The discussions thereafter will revolve around providing the young with a ‘moral equivalent of war,’ in dealing with the glories of war in the minds of young people by providing them with meaningful challenges that surpass the pride of taking away life, creating a generation of lovers of peace.

Workshop Leaders: Ndekezi Maarifa