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"It was not right to have it just for men."
Jean Replinger
Oct. 13, 1928 – Nov. 16, 2024
The Voyageur Outward Bound community celebrates and honors the life and achievements of Jean Replinger, former instructor, director, changemaker, and dear friend of VOBS. Jean's legacy lives in the women she personally directed courses for and in the thousands of female students that followed in their footsteps. Lives were forever changed as a result her commitment to ensuring young women could go Outward Bound.
Jean Sanford Replinger, a remarkable pioneer in outdoor education and one of VOBS’s founding leaders passed away at 96 just before Thanksgiving. Her unwavering commitment to expanding access to transformative wilderness experiences started in 1965 and continues to serves as an inspiration to us all.
Growing up in Northern Wisconsin, Jean discovered a lifelong love for nature and adventure. After studying at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she became a professor at Antioch College, where she led transformative outdoor trips that empowered her students to find strength and courage in the wilderness. Jean was more than a guide—she was a mentor who shared her passion for exploration.
In 1964, Jean answered the call to help establish Minnesota Outward Bound, a program that has continues today as a cornerstone of outdoor education in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. That same year, Jean proposed something visionary—a women’s Outward Bound program. Despite initial reluctance from the Board, her determination prevailed, and in 1965, Jean directed the first Outward Bound course for women in the Western Hemisphere. She didn’t stop there; in 1971, she helped launch Outward Bound’s first program for differently abled students, proving her belief that outdoor education should be available to all.
Jean’s impact resonates far beyond the trails and lakes. She instilled a deep sense of resilience, empowerment, and unity in everyone she worked with. She once said, “If I had a good experience, it was important for me to share it with others.” Today, the seeds she planted have grown into a thriving organization that continues her work of inclusion, courage, and lifelong learning. Her spirit lives on in each Outward Bound course, each young adventurer, and each step we take towards a more inclusive future.
Her legacy lives on through the Jean Replinger Scholarship Fund, which ensures that her vision for inclusive, life-changing experiences remains at the heart of VOBS. If you'd like to share any special memories of Jean, please email development@vobs.org for our tribute in the next edition of the Spark.
Thank you, Jean, for sharing your passion, leadership, and love for the wild. We honor your life and will continue to carry forward your vision.
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Read Jean's obituary here: Jean Sanford Replinger. |
