We have so much to be thankful for, and it’s only September!
This fall, VOBS heads into a new school year with an expanded presence and a renewed commitment to our Minnesota community.
Build a Better MN
Thanks to the generous support of the Larson Family Foundation, VOBS is serving more students, and more diverse students, in Minnesota with high impact and relevant character education. Thanks to Larson, we are building belonging, strength and purpose in urban, suburban and rural communities. Larson funding reduces financial barriers and allows VOBS to create new partnership programs with schools, colleges and nonprofits. Starting this fall, we are creating opportunities for more than 450 under-resourced students to build skills for success at home, in school and in the workplace.
Outward Bound’s mission is to change lives through challenge and discovery. Our vision is a more resilient and compassionate world, with more resilient and compassionate citizens. We are building a better Minnesota by supporting students and their communities with ethical leadership and relevant character development. Larson funding makes 17 local partnerships possible and engages students with hands-on programs (year-round, day-long and multi-day). Minnesota youth and young adults are learning by doing new and challenging things together in our urban and wilderness environments. Together, we are helping students develop vital social-emotional skills so they can:
Stay in school
Set goals
Solve problems
Connect with peers
Succeed in college and career
Contribute to community
photos above credited to Steve Woit
We can’t do this alone! If you know an organization that is interested in building a better Minnesota, please share this message with them and help them connect with VOBS and future funding. If you know an individual who is ready to champion student success, please connect them with our dedicated Development Team.
Reach Out
And speaking of help… we have a new addition to our Partnership Team. Meet Megan!
Megan Henning, Outreach Representative, is now working with our MN nonprofit partners and building connections in Texas. Did you know that we design and deliver life-changing programs in Big Bend, Texas too? In fact, Megan has just released a Request for Proposal to create five new funded partnership programs in Big Bend for 2020. Interested?
You don’t have to be a Texan to take advantage — imagine developing student leadership with a high-impact spring break desert backpacking expedition. Reach out to Megan right away:megan.henning@vobs.org. Check out her recent blog too: The Power of Big Bend.
Go to the Dogs Speaking of Spring Break, winter 2020 is right around the corner and here at VOBS, that means two things:
Snow & Dogs
Dogs? Yes, dogs. VOBS has a one-of-a-kind Dog Sledding Expedition program. This is an expertly instructed course, not a guided program. This is six to eight days of challenging north woods winter discovery with a team of friendly, fuzzy mentors…and two very experienced human Instructors.
Insider’s tip: our Winter Program staff are rock stars. These folks are some of the most experienced, dedicated and compassionate Instructors working in the field of
experiential education today. Only this program builds leadership and character through a curriculum of people, dogs and wilderness. We design Dog Sledding Expeditions for students ages 16 and up. Please reach out as soon as possible if you are interested; we are currently booking February-March 2020 programs now through October: marlais.brand@vobs.org Go Farther, Faster We are very proud of our work here at VOBS and, as we head into a new school year, we’d like to share our 2018 Annual Report with you and the following note fromJack Lee, our Executive Director. Jack's letter kicks off this year’s report, and his words are a call to action and an inspiration:
"Our communities need resilient and compassionate leaders.
The challenges
are many: poverty, climate change, political discord, discrimination, injustice. The list goes on. Any one of us might say, 'How can I eliminate poverty? How can I halt climate change? How can I stop racism?' The answer is… you can’t… but together, we can.
We can find the strength and determination to tackle daunting and very real challenges if we learn to work together. We are better together. We live our value of inclusion through our unique approach to education. We know that every individual can contribute unique assets and strengths to any community and its challenges. When we endeavor and learn
together, we discover our potential to go farther, faster."
"A major goal of Hiawatha Collegiate High School is to produce scholars who not only graduate high school, but persist and graduate from college ready and capable to contribute to the common good. In order to accomplish those goals, students must develop the key skills of leadership and interdependence. VOBS programming adds a dynamic, enriching and invaluable opportunity for us to focus on those two skills in engaging, meaningful and lasting ways. We see VOBS as a key piece of our cultural programming."
Ryan Williams-Virden, Hiawatha Collegiate High School
Thank you for helping us build a better Minnesota!
