Outward bound??

[Deb Quen of Colorado]

Anyone have any experience sending their kids on one of the Outward Bound trips? We are specifically looking at the at risk youth trips. I think we need to step in now to prevent having to fix too much later. Just hopful that I can hear some positives about the program. Thanks

 

[SunshineOR]

We've just been researching wilderness therapeutic outdoor programs for our child. I've done some online hunting on this same topic in the past week. Best recommended outdoor therapeutic programs seem to be SUWS in Idaho and North Carolina. They have highly qualified staff and are known for using a counseling/therapeutic based approach rather than a "boot camp" approach of deprivation and discipline.

Mixed reports on Outward Bound. Some found it an amazing experience that changed their life (or child's life) but also lots of reports and allegations of abuse. There have been some questionable deaths due to dehydration on long marches or not getting medical attention soon enough. I don't have any personal experience though and haven't done enough research to know the real story behind these allegations. Just thought I'd mention what I've discovered in my limited research. I'll be interested in anyone's responses if they've actually had experience with the program.

 

[Sarah_Rose]

I don't know if the Canadian program operates in the same way as the American program, but they are part of the same "group" if you know what I mean.

My cousin (who was considered at risk) did this program the summer before his last year of high school: http://www.outwardbound.ca/results.asp?CourseRID=223. It was a life-changing experience for him. He ended up being being hired for the next summer (dependent on him graduating from high school!) as a white-water canoe instructor with the program. After that, he went to a small college that specialized in forestry and now has a job with the government of Canada as a forest firefighter - it is his dream job and he attributes his decision to go into forestry to Outward Bound.

So, it worked for at least one teenager. However, this was a teenager who was already very inclined to spend time in the outdoors and who just needed a push to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. Before that, he was determined to drop out of high school and see where life took him from there. The leadership theme, along with the outdoor aspect, was exactly what he needed.

 

[Deb Quen of Colorado]

Sunshine... sounds like we are both on the same quest here. This is a tough subject to get an accurate 'feel' for. I wish I had that magic parent crystal ball to see the best choice.

 

[SunshineOR]

Deb, I'm glad you posted the question because I was thinking of posting one myself. I need to hear from people with experiences and I hope you get some more replies.

It's a huge amount of money for us. Part of me says, no amount of money is too much if this truly helps our daughter. The other part of me thinks, what if it doesn't work or pushes her back instead of giving our daughter the little nudge forward we think she needs? We could have just taken a Disney trip for the family instead!

I've been mostly looking into SUWS in Idaho because it's not too far from us and I was referred to it by a therapist. However, hearing a great support for it is motivating me to look into Outward Bound more as well. I'll keep researching and let you know if I find a great site for reviews or something I find really helpful. Good luck!

 

[Kjoensen]

I would be very careful about some of the programs. The program in Idaho had a sister program in Oregon, which were on ABC family with a show called "Brat Camp". The program in Oregon lost one of their clients and was closed down by the sheriff until the investigation is done. It did happen in September.

The program in Idaho and their sister program in North Carolina has lost two clients so far.

I would certainly look into a family wilderness program instead, because then you will be watching what is going on. On the internet there is a list of children who have died in residential programs and it is too long according to my belief.

 

[golfgal]

On thing to think about is if she hasn't gone over to the "dark side" so to speak yet but is only heading down the path, is it wise to put her in a program with kids that have already gone over totally? It might be more beneficial to just put her into the regular outward bound program to have more "positive" role models. Just something to think about.