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New
York City Outward Bound Center
"Youth today are misled by a society which dictates how
they should behave rather than simply being themselves. By providing
youth with the opportunity to discover who they are and the power
they hold, we can help them become the answer to today's problems.
It is time to give our youth the chance to stand out and allow them
to lead us."-- A founding member of Rebels with a Cause
a NYCOBC alumni program
You know a program is good when the students keep coming back for
more. This is one of the strengths of the unique urban programs
offered by the New York City Outward Bound Center (NYCOBC). In New
York City, students on Outward Bound Courses tackle a different
mountains such as academically challenged youth learning how to
enjoy reading and engage in writing, teachers facing their biases
(homophobia, racism, classism), schools transforming their entire
program to be more expeditionary and hands on, and professionals
facing the challenge of communicating effectively in teams.
In 1987, energy and enthusiasm abounded in New York to create a
one of a kind center that would effect positive and lasting change
in the lives of New York City's young people and in the public schools.
Today they fulfill that mission through comprehensive school reform,
targeted school programs, professional development programs for
educators, organizational development programs for schools and nonprofits,
adventure programs for youth, and after school and summer programs.
Courses are run year round and include activities such as ropes
courses, sailing, canoeing, hiking (urban and wilderness), academic
studies, service projects, rock climbing, and cultural immersions.
Regardless of the program, it is clear that the students that attend
NYCOBC have life changing experiences with Outward Bound. Perhaps
the words of one literacy and environmental leadership student sum
up the affect most eloquently: "Many lessons are taught, but
it's up to you to use the knowledge from those lessons. If knowledge
is power, then Outward Bound makes you invincible. If the pen is
mightier than the sword, then Outward Bound has an unstoppable army.
If your strength comes from your soul, then Outward Bound can make
you lift a mountain. When you leave this program, your eyes get
wider.
What
students say about New York City Outward Bound School:
"Outward Bound reminds us that you have to help young people
uncover their passions - not just learning styles, but passions.
If through their work they start to discover that inner fire, then
they are better able to see the possibilities for making an impact
in the world."
--Loretta Brady, middle school teacher at School for the Physical
City, the first ELOB school in New York City
"Before I started [South Bronx High School's] Project Discovery
class, there were many things that I did not accomplish simply because
I gave up on them too quickly. Now I look back and smile at what
I went through and the fears that I've overcome. I just say to myself
that if I did it in those trips, then I can do the same with my
life. So when I need a little extra push in life in order to accomplish
something, I will always have my memories of how I used to think."--
Geysha Cornielle
"Getting involved with Outward Bound completely changed my
life professionally and personally. The opportunities for personal
and professional growth are mind-boggling. The concepts of personal
discovery and challenge are not just for kids; they. re for teachers
too.... I've gotten more and learned more from this year and a half
of working with Outward Bound than I had in my previous 11 years
of teaching. And what I've learned translates directly into my work
with kids."
--Laura Kelly, Teacher at I.S. 30, an Expeditionary Learning Outward
Bound school in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn
"Education reform that is aimed at encouraging collaboration
fails unless the adults in a school model collaborative practice.
Outward Bound has helped us do this. Through weekend courses, staff
retreats, and faculty meetings, NYCOBC has & provided us with
the tools and teachings that have enabled us to meet some of our
most challenging problems."
--Carolyn Wagner, Principal of Erasmus Hall Campus: High School
for the Humanities and the Performing Arts
"This trip has gotten me ready for my four years of college
…. Without OLES, I would have never thought I could push my
body and my mind to the extent that I have. It has made me a stronger
person."
--Denise Rodriguez, student at South Bronx High School
"We were able to canoe, hike, and climb places we had never
seen before. We got to meet new people in a different state. …
We have increased our academic abilities as well as our physical
and emotional status."
--Pedro Quezada, a South Bronx High School student and a graduate
of the summer Literacy & Environmental Studies Program in North
Carolina.
"One of the challenges we face on Wall Street is how to effectively
manage individuals who practice very different disciplines at very
high levels towards a common goal. This is particularly important
at Lehman Brothers where one of our most important values is our
belief in a "One Firm" philosophy where all of us, no
matter our respective goals, must work together to create value
for our clients, customers, and shareholders. The New York City
Outward Bound Center has played a significant role in our efforts
to foster this value by providing all entry level employees from
different backgrounds, skill sets, and schools, an intense experience
that calls upon them to work together in different ways at the inception
of their employment at the firm.
I can say that those who have taken part in the program over [the]
years know each other better than prior "entry-level"
classes. They know how to use each other as resources, and they
re not afraid to cross business lines to use each others' expertise.
Our venture with the NYCOBC has helped to create a set of enduring
relationships across divisions within the company, which I see as
vitally important to the way we do business at the firm."
-- Alec Haverstick of Lehman Brothers, Inc.
CONTACT
NEW YORK CITY OUTWARD BOUND CENTER:
29-46 Northern Boulevard
Long Island City, NY 11101
Bus: 1 (718) 706-9900
Bus Fax: 1 (718) 433-0500
E-mail: info@nycoutwardbound.org
Web Page: www.nycoutwardbound.org
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