OUTWARD BOUND ROMANIA  (OBR) is a non-profit educational organization, founded in 1993, a licensed member of Outward Bound International, created with the aim to support people discover and develop their true potential, to care for and respect themselves, others and the world around them through safe and challenging experiences in unfamiliar settings. 

A belief in the power and intensity of learning and adventure in the outdoors – as a means of bringing out the best in our participants.

A deep appreciation of the balance between risk, reward and responsibility. We facilitate authentic learning through purposeful and intense experiences with real consequences and powerful, positive and memorable outcomes.

Outward Bound Learning model:

At the heart of this is learning through authentic adventure. A combination of authentic adventure in the natural environment and the application of a facilitated and deliberate learning process in an outdoor setting. Each program will be set in a context for the participants and will have specific learning outcomes. The course will link the learning outcomes, adventure and environment through the Outward Bound experiential learning model.

The following six elements- EXPEDITION, CHALLENGING ACTIVITIES, AS SELF-RELIANT AS POSSIBLE, IN THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT, BEING CHALLENGED AT THE EDGE OF YOUR CAPABILITIES, PROGRESSIVE- are a way of describing what we mean by authentic adventure withinOutward Bound. The whole adventure is often described as a journey, both physical andmetaphorical where participants gain new insights and experiences working with others in a close group in the outdoors with a skilled instructor.

The elements are real and as immersed in the natural environment as possible, giving a high degree of uncertainty and challenge. When combined with the deliberate learning process participant’s development will be at the highest level.

Authentic adventure acts as a metaphor for life; participants on their Outward Bound journey and how these will help them in the future.

We facilitate the learning process of the participants with reflection and transfer. We encourage participants to reflect on the adventure and environmental experiences of the course and to consider their feelings and emotions towards self, others and the environment and to link back to the learning objectives. These processes are integral to the course and happen on a continual basis.

Transfer of learning and linking back /forward to the course or session aims is a core part of delivery. This process will be present right from the start of the course and is central to the use of the Outward Bound experiential learning method.

The transfer of learning and personal action planning at the end of courses are important methods of encouraging the ongoing application of the key personal learning of the course to participants’ own lives.

The course only has relevance beyond the new experiences undertaken, if applied and built upon, so the values and associated behaviours become habits.

Action plans help in this reinforcement of learning.

Our principles:

-to support the participants to step out from their Comfort zone

-to work with the participants in a holistic way by offering them different type of challenges (physical, mental, emotional) in an unfamiliar setting, but also in a safe way while the participants can discover more about themselves

-the participants are the creators of their own experiences, the results depend on how deeply and actively they engage themselves into the process

-to ensure the transfer of the experiences to the implementation in real life