Students Canoeing in the Boundary Waters, Summer 2021
Greetings VOBSters,
It's the middle of July and students are busy going Outward Bound. It brings us such pleasure to say that while things may look a bit different, it feels like summer. Crews are out on the front lawn at Homeplace, youth students are carrying giant backpacks as they hike the Superior Hiking Trail, there's laughter and sometimes tears around the campfire and they're mowing down the backcountry version of gado-gado after paddling a long hard day in the Boundary Waters. It is most certainly summer.
Our first crews of students
just returned to base from their expeditions and they regaled us with tales of their adventure -- paddling into the wind, dumping their canoes, pushing through blisters, facing their fears, climbing higher and higher. However, one theme remained consistent, from student to student -- the comradery and support they had with their crew was by far something they are most truly thankful for and will remember for a lifetime. After a year of such disconnection and isolation, these students found connection and belonging amongst a group of peers in new and unfamiliar environments. And they will return home with new friends, new skills and changed in ways they never thought possible. This right there, is entirely why we are here.
With Gratitude, Your VOBS Crew
Things We Love
This list of 12 book recommendations from She Explores about Rivers and Paddling (two things we experience a LOT here at VOBS!) - "These women-authored books celebrate rivers and paddling in
different ways, from family canoe adventures to arctic expeditions, via research, trip reporting, and also reflection."
Parks. A podcast exploring the truth about the creation of U.S. National Parks, retold alongside Indigenous Peoples.
Ivy Le's new podcast FOGO: Fear of Going Outside. "Most nature shows are hosted by reckless white men, but avid outdoorswoman Ivy Le is an Asian mom with severe allergies. She's determined to go camping -- or die trying."
"People say grief is like the ocean, that it comes in waves. Or like a river, it ebbs and flows. I also like to think of it as a long run. The Long Run." - This a great read from a writer who lost her father to Alzheimer's, reflecting on her relationship with grief and running -- and the connections between the two.
MISSION MOMENT
"This course was so many things. It was hardship. It was endurance. It was emotional. It was pushing past limits... but most of all, it was so, SO rewarding. The friendships and relationships that I made are ones that I will never forget - the difficulties we persisted through together; tears shed; the laughter; these are special moments in life. Even now, as I lay writing this in our tent cabin, my heart aches because I know that this is my last night with these incredible people."
"After suspending all summer programming in 2020, June 2021 feels like a real triumph. We invite you to share our exuberance. Please enjoy this photo essay of recent basecamp happenings. Photos are accompanied by brief, candid “dispatches” from each basecamp. Thanks to Kevin Neff (Program Manager), Elliott Sweeney (Course Director & Field Instructor), and Drake Deasley (Intern), for taking a few minutes out of their very busy schedules to share their excitement with us."
Travel and study through two spectacular and dramatically different regions of the country while you acquire an extensive range of outdoor skills and a broad understanding of each area’s environmental and ecological challenges along the way. This intensive, 9-week leadership semester course is an outstanding opportunity for students to immerse themselves in the wilderness while experiencing a diverse curriculum of outdoor skills, leadership and character development.
Start Date: September 20th, 2021 End Date: November 23rd, 2021 Length: 65 Days Age: 18+
Leave behind what you should do to pursue who you could become when you take a gap year with VOBS. Untraditional and unforgettable—spend 65 days on an outdoor leadership expedition that challenges you to redefine what you’re capable of doing and embrace all that you’ve achieved.
The VOBS Twin Cities Center has moved to a new location in St. Paul - please update your records!
You Are Needed
VOBS strives to serve every student, regardless of income. By making a donation today, you help make it possible for everyone to experience Outward Bound. Your donation helps young teens working on rebuilding their family relationships, veterans looking to find success beyond the military, and adults on the precipice of their next life stage. A gift to VOBS is just one way to demonstrate the lasting value of this experience. Thank you!
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