Location
  • United States of America
Length
4 - 12 weeks

Program Details

Activities
Backpacking Camping Canoeing Hiking Kayaking Mountain Climbing Remote Exploring Rock Climbing
Timeframe
Year Round
Housing
Tent
Primary Language
English
Age Min.
18

Pricing

Starting Price
9900
Price Details
The total cost includes all tuition and fees for the course. This covers your food, technical gear, and equipment while on course including the WFR certification. Not included in this total cost are personal expenses such as clothing, insurance, and airfare.
What's Included
Accommodation Activities Equipment Meals Transportation
What's Not Included
Airfare
Jun 06, 2023
Aug 24, 2023
28 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Are you interested in the field of Outdoor Education? Begin your journey towards a career in the outdoors with one of our Outdoor Educator courses by gaining the experience, knowledge, and integrity essential for effective leadership. With an emphasis on student dynamics, group and individual facilitation, and safety and risk management, we’ll give you the educational toolkit to become a successful outdoor educator with proven and practical expertise.

On these expeditions, you’ll get a peek behind the scenes at what it takes to deliver an inspiring, life-changing outdoor experience and get feedback from your peers and our highly-trained instructors to help you improve your craft. You'll earn the industry standard Wilderness First Responder certification, learn Outward Bound educational methods, and clock 800+ field hours to add to your resume all while experiencing some of the best wilderness our country has to offer!

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Develop technical skills with the best Instructors in the industry
  • Learn group and individual facilitation, along with safety and risk management
  • Return home as a confident outdoor leader and compassionate educator with proven and practical expertise
  • Receive your Wilderness First Responder certification
  • Explore some of the best outdoor landscapes in the Pacific Northwest and the Blue Ridge Mountains

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The Wild & Scenic Deschutes River

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The Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina

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Program Reviews

5.00 Rating
based on 8 reviews
  • 5 rating 100%
  • 4 rating 0%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Housing 4.25
  • Support 5
  • Fun 5
  • Value 4.65
  • Safety 5
Showing 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Default avatar
Alex
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Oregon Outdoor Educator Course

This 55 day outdoor course is meant to challenge you, but it was not what I had originally expected. It is not an outdoor boot camp, it is much more about learning to live in a community with others and work to accomplish challenges together. After completing even a single element of the course you leave the backcountry with an immense sense of accomplishment and confidence in yourself. This course is meant to give you all the skills to be an outdoor educator- there are a lot of technical skill lessons on each element (such as how to set up and manage a rock climbing site), and we got a lot of practice teaching lessons to each other and growing as teachers in general. The instructors create an amazing culture of feedback and support to really allow for personal growth, professional growth, and self discovery. I learned a lot about myself.

Pros
  • Amazing instructors really care about your personal growth, in both technical and social/ emotional skills.
  • Create a tight knit community that you go through challenges with
  • Become confident in yourself
Cons
  • Did not get to do technical mountaineering that I wanted to do, based on the skill level of other students
68 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Charis
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Northwest Outward Bound Outdoor Educator Course

Taking this course was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I signed up in order to gain technical skills to perform better in my role within the outdoor industry. I walked away with these skills, but I also gained so much more. Some of the greatest lessons I learned while on trail came from the seven other individuals on expedition with me. They remain some of the closest friends and encouragers I have in my life. While on trail we leaned on each other's strengths to get us both physically and mentally to our next destination. And while, sleeping in a cave overlooking granite spires and kayaking alongside orca whales are "never-forget-it moments", some of my favorite memories are rap battles and campfire dinners with my crew. This expedition of course would have not been the same without the instructors who led it. They exemplified passion, integrity, and grit — leading by example and creating a space that was fun to learn, fail, and try again in, they are truly the real MVP's and are reason enough to sign up for a course.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
For anyone considering this course — first and foremost: do it! And secondly, lean fully into every part of the course. Ask questions. Be yourself. And be ready to challenge and grow yourself in ways, you probably won't even recognize until you're back home.
127 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Laura
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Epic Travels

One of the hardest experiences of my life but it was all worth it! On my 2 year anniversary with my boyfriend, I had to leave him for 2 months to go on these adventures with random people from all over the Country. The heartache was indescribable but from every mountain that I climbed, every dinner under the stars, all scenic routes, and the variety of personalities that were found from each bond, the heartache was just easier and easier to deal with. This course pushes your limits, from the fear of heights to the fear of opening up, it's all different for one but it just gets better and you grow from your weaknesses. You travel together but your journey is your own. You learn a bunch of new skills; map and compass reading, variety of knot building, WFR certification, rock climbing skills, and so much more. When I came back home my current job advanced my position and gave me more responsibility. I am growing as an outdoor educator. The one thing to note down from all of this is just be you. There might be a day that you feel frustrated with someone or sad about an incident, or just lonely, we'll speak up! Be yourself and let yourself grow from these experiences. It will all be worth it!

What would you improve about this program?
Not sure
134 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Andrew
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Outward Bound California 65-Day Instructor Development Course (High Sierras, Joshua Tree, Bay Area)

I came into this semester course with some previous outdoor experiences and was unsure about how much more I could learn from a semester course. To answer that question, I learned much more than I ever thought I would. One of the main takeaways from my trip has been to keep the "beginner's mind", or in my case, learning to accept that I didn't know as much as I thought I did and that it's okay.

Having had previous experience with the technical skills of backpacking, mountaineering, rock climbing, and sea kayaking, this course provided for a much needed refresher into these different skills. However, the most influential learning for me was the interpersonal skills. At its core, Outward Bound allows students to put into practice the transferable skills of leadership, communication, and conflict resolution. In this microcosm of a learning environment, it's allowed me to put the skills I've learned and practiced in the backcountry into my everyday life. That's what makes Outward Bound so special. It's not just an outdoor education. The outdoors is simply a vehicle that Outward Bound uses to teach a life education.

It is a program that I highly recommend for either the beginner of the experienced. And while the program is targeted towards aspiring outdoor educators, I think this program would be fit for just about anyone.

126 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Chloe
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Life-Changing

Doing this course will truly change your life! The memories you will take away from this course and the places you'll see are amazing, and I know I for one would never have done/seen them if it wasn't for this trip. It was challenging every single day but I am so much better for it--I feel so much more independent ever since doing this course, which makes sense because Outward Bound (at least in this program) focuses on having you figure things out yourself.

And though I didn't end up pursuing outdoor education as a career, it has still benefited me so much just in life in general, living in a city.

I still talk about my experience at Outward Bound to this day (and it was over 2 years ago) because of all the things I've done in my life, I am perhaps most proud of doing and completing this course.

129 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Eric
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Outward Bound Instructor Development Course Washington

My passion for outdoor education and recreation led to my enrollment in a 50-day Outward Bound Instructor Development course. This extraordinary expedition in the Pacific Northwest combined challenging environments with an intensive educational curriculum advancing my educational, technical and medical skills. Upon reflection, my favorite part was the education practicum because the opportunities to teach the skills I learned as a student and see my campers comprehend and practice those skills. This fully immersive course I am incredibly thankful for because it has furthered my passion to teach in the outdoors and taught me to pursue what I love.

I am proud to say this experience led to employment this past summer with Northwest Outward Bound base as an intern. One of the many learnings from my employment included understanding the value of open communication between co-instructors to maintain a supportive and safe environment for the students. Lastly, I would recommend the Instructor Development Course for any inspiring outdoor educators!

133 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Henry
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

50 day Intructor's Training (Three Sisters Wilderness)

It isn't a specific story, but rather a whole experience. On my trip we started with backpacking a section of the Three Sisters Wilderness, Rocking Climbing at Smith Rock, Rafting the Deschutes (i think), and then we finished with less guided backpacking. And while the less guided backpacking was the most difficult due to weather and overall independence, the trip that stays with me the most was Rafting the Deschutes. It was roughly 2 weeks of the most beautiful, and sometimes frightening, place I have ever been. It was challenging everyday, but it was all so rewarding. Each day we had to rig and take down the row-boats, possibly raft through some rapids, and receive some wilderness medical training. It was a daily struggle, but I was never more happy. I had a smile on my face the moment we touched the water. I kind of felt like a super responsible kid because I had jobs I had to do to help my team, but I was laughing and excited the entire time. Outward Bound and this specific part of the trip in general helped me to realize that challenging myself feels good and it never hurts to be positive.

129 people found this review helpful.
Constantine Dhonau
Constantine
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

52 Days: Rockies to Alaska

I met one of my best friends on this course. Every day I would look around in awe that I was actually climbing or hiking in the Rockies, in Wyoming, in Alaska. The beauty is incomprehensible. We made several peak attempts, but our only successful summit was optional. Our group could have walked away, but we came together in the pouring rain, freezing temperatures, and gale winds to make our way to the top. This instructor development course is a great option for just beginning, or taking your foundational knowledge to the next level.

111 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers