“The program was comprehensive in its problem solving approach. If only one person “changes” that isn't enough to attempt to support and understand the kid. Parent involvement was key! We also liked that the course was HARD.” – Sue, Parent of Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
“Thank you in all you do to provide a safe, thoughtful, fun, challenging, caring and bold experience for the students and families! My daughter completed a 50-day Intercept program and has had a major reset of her self-confidence, goals and attitude. She is a joy to be around again …and after only three days home says she misses trail life and after four days home left to go camping - it's spectacular. Thank you all!” – Parent of Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
“I liked that this program mirrors life in our home; that it uses mother nature to teach life lessons, then tools for what occurs in life back home.” – Carol, Parent of Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
"Outward Bound has been a life changing tool that has allowed me to stop and take a second look at the path I want to go down, versus the path I have been following. Living with a group of individuals has taught me a lot about perspective and that everyone has their struggles but there's always a way to push past them. I'm leaving this course with a new understanding of empathy and accountability while leaving behind my negative energy towards others. I will remember the Outward Bound community and what they stand for." – Mark, Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
“When I get home, I can tell people that Outward Bound reminded me about who I really am and want to be. It kickstarted that change into being a better person.” – Marisa, Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
"This course changed my life. I challenged myself physically and mentally everyday whether that was paddling and portaging or having conversations on how I can better myself with my group." – Elizabeth, Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
Designed to help families rebuild strong, healthy relationships, this semester-long canoe expedition is ideal for young adults engaging in potentially risky behaviors, struggling with low self-image, not living up to their potential and/or demonstrating poor decision-making skills. Students begin the journey with a three-week canoe expedition that brings them to a week-long transition phase in which they touch base with their families via an instructor-facilitated phone conference. Students then help plan and prepare for a multi-week backpacking and North Canoe expedition which ends with a second transition phase before concluding in a family conference.
Within the structure of a wilderness expedition, students experience the thrills of adventure, the satisfaction of a hard day’s work and the camaraderie of a supportive team in a classroom unlike any other. During the course, Instructors facilitate activities that build teamwork, communication and conflict resolution skills. They help students set goals and make better decisions and encourage each student to find the leader within themselves. Each transition phase includes a two-day community service project and the course culminates in a three-day intensive family seminar. This workshop helps the entire family transfer the experience into a model for everyday life. Families walk away with new problem-solving tools, a fresh optimism and outlook, and a plan for future success.
NOTE: This course requires that students be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to attend. For questions regarding this policy please see this page or call us at 866-467-7651.
This course is closed for the season. 2023 courses coming soon.
APPLY NOW
This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW – Almost Full
This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
JOIN WAITLIST
Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist spots will become available. In the event a spot becomes available, those on the waitlist may have an opportunity to secure the available spot. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. Upon completion of your application, a $500 deposit is required to reserve the waitlist spot. If you choose to remove your application from the waitlist, or if a spot does not become available, you will be refunded the $500 deposit. If a spot becomes available and you elect not to take it, Outward Bound will keep $150 of the deposit.
Waitlist spots are prioritized in the order of returned paperwork, not in the order applications are received, so be sure to return the initial paperwork as soon as possible! Please be aware that waitlist spots may become available up to two weeks before the course starts. While cancellations do occur, we cannot guarantee a spot will become available. Applicants may only be listed on one waitlist. If there is another course that still has availability and is also of interest to you, we recommend applying for that course instead. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
ENROLLMENT CLOSED
This means a course is very close to its start date. Although it is unlikely to secure a spot this late, you can call the National Admissions office at 866-467-7651 to discuss your options.
COURSE IS FULL
When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.
CLOSED
As a course nears its start date, the availability status may read “Closed.” In this event, a course roster has been finalized and applications are no longer being accepted or processed.
Most College Savings Plans, including the 529 College Savings Plan, may be used to attend an Outward Bound expedition, thanks to a partnership with Western Colorado University. Anyone can register – you do not have to be a current Western Colorado University student. Registration is easy! Click here to learn more.
Outward Bound Intercept expeditions are specifically designed for struggling teens and their families. These highly structured courses remove young people from daily pressures and influences and present them instead with natural challenges, guided risks and a supportive environment. More than just resolving destructive behaviors, these courses develop positive decision-making skills, strengthen their ability to build healthy and lasting relationships, and cultivate a positive self-image. Compassionate Instructors help students and parents find a healthy sense of boundaries so families interact more effectively with one another and the world around them.
With the support of Outward Bound’s Intercept program, and the dedicated involvement of both students and their families, relationships start fresh, perceived limitations are overcome, new opportunities emerge and new futures are created.
Outward Bound is accredited with the American Gap Association and is the longest running program in this elite group dedicated to providing safe, meaningful and high-caliber educational experiences to students.
Spring semester students begin their travel by “ice canoeing.” They learn a variety of skills for traversing a landscape that is literally melting away below their feet. A truly unique paddling opportunity, students witness and interact with the changing seasons as the northern winter melts into spring. The group navigates the Boundary Waters by pulling and pushing their boats like sleds over thick sheets of ice stretching across the wilderness in all directions. As temperatures warm and the ice melts, students paddle narrow channels between shattered ice sheets, eventually paddling on open water.
Summer and fall semester students begin their expedition on open lakes. Participants complete an extended canoe expedition that is entirely self-supported. This means that the group brings all of the food and gear that they need in order to live in the backcountry for three weeks. Expert Instructors teach the art of paddling a canoe in a variety of conditions, as well as map and compass reading, route finding and Leave No Trace wilderness ethics. Groups navigate a variety of waterways such as lakes, rivers and marshland, enjoying the pristine air, water and forests of the untouched wilderness. Working as a team, students carry packs and canoes over portage trails that bridge the land between bodies of water or to get safely around challenging rapids. Traveling by canoe allows groups to go far past where motorboats operate. Once there, it is possible to quietly observe all the wonders around them, like bald eagles, moose and peaceful sunsets on mirror-calm lakes.
During climbing days, students learn about general rock climbing equipment, safety and etiquette. Students have many opportunities to climb, belay and rappel while learning and employing safety systems that are compliant with national standards. The rock climbing sites provide a number of different route options including cracks, sheer faces and chimneys. Regardless of a student’s rock climbing background, they are sure to find a route that will encourage the expansion of their comfort zone.
The crew works together to carry everything they need in large backpacks while hiking from campsite to campsite through Minnesota’s boreal forest. Students hike 5 to 10 miles each day, depending on terrain. Groups tend to camp near pristine rivers and lakes each evening to have access to water. Students learn how to filter and purify their water for drinking and cooking, prepare meals over a fire or stove, set up shelters and navigate with a map and compass.
Looking out over the top of the boreal forest and located 30 feet in the air, the high ropes course is incredible. Students swing from Tarzan ropes, walk on tightrope wires and climb a cargo net before jumping on the zip line for an exhilarating ride back to solid ground. This opportunity creates space for students to individually challenge themselves while being supported by their team at the end of their expedition experience.
NOTE: Due to safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic, the parents or guardians will participate in the Seminar virtually as the students conclude their course.
By the end of the course, students have made great strides. They have learned how to balance freedom and responsibility, how to be part of a team and how to make positive choices. They feel a sense of pride in themselves and their accomplishments and have a fresh perspective and outlook on their lives. But how do teens and families translate the incredible Intercept experience into lasting positive change? Parents or guardians are a critical link in the success of the Intercept experience and have the opportunity to think through their relationship with their teen by using a comprehensive workbook. At the intensive three-day seminar, Instructors help translate the student experience to parents and guardians, giving families an opportunity to practice tools and strategies used on the expedition, creating a solid foundation of understanding and support for the path ahead.
As a part of the family seminar, families meet one-on-one with at least one of the expedition Instructors to learn how their young adult fared on the course. They hear a detailed account of what the course was like, the struggles and success of the group and how their young adult handled the challenges. Together, with an Instructor acting as a facilitator, families come up with a new agreement to guide life at home. The goal for the family is to re-establish healthy roles and connections, restore any past harm, rebuild trust and create clear expectations for the future. The goal for the student is to have a voice in the direction their life takes and to clearly understand and commit to their responsibilities in order to earn trust and more freedom at home.
Service is a cornerstone of every Outward Bound experience. From the seemingly small, daily acts of service to the environment and the expedition team to the post-expedition service-learning projects, students have ample opportunities to experience the value of giving back to the larger community. On the expedition, students are encouraged to practice environmental stewardship in the form of Leave No Trace ethics - leaving campsites and trails in better condition than they found them. Students also practice regular acts of service for their team including preparing and serving meals, helping others put on or take off packs, or setting up shelters for the entire team.
After the expedition, students participate in two days of organized service to the community. These projects are designed to offer as much interaction with local communities as possible, as a way of exchanging cultural awareness and fostering a sense of connection to the larger world. The specific type of service project depends on local needs and opportunities but could include serving at a local food shelf, CSA farm, or Habitat for Humanity
The Solo experience provides an important break from the rigors of the expedition and gives students the opportunity to reflect on their Outward Bound experience. Many students use this reflection time to make decisions about their future, journal and enjoy the beauty of their surroundings unencumbered by the constant external stimulation of modern life. The duration of Solo depends on the course length and type, as well as the competency and preparedness of the student group. With all the food, skills and supplies they need, participants are given a secluded spot to reflect alone, and are monitored by staff throughout the experience to maintain safety. Students find that Solo provokes profound and powerful learning in a short period of time and often becomes one of the most memorable parts of their Outward Bound course.
Courses are offered in a variety of locations and for different lengths to provide a range of programming from which participants can choose the optimal experience for them. Longer courses allow for a full immersion into the Outward Bound experience, more time to practice wilderness travel, and the opportunity to experience both success and failure to promote personal growth. The Intercept course offers the opportunity to be fully removed from the temptations and triggers of day-to-day life and start fresh with new habits and new life lessons. Students can expect to get comfortable living and working together in the wilderness while creating a solid foundation of communication, problem solving and decision making skills that they can continue to build on after course. With the added support of parent or guardian involvement, students are able to take lessons they’ve learned on course back to their home lives and implement the changes they want to see.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota
Established in1978, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is a labyrinth of lakes and rocks that has been specifically protected as a true American wilderness. No roads, power lines or motorized craft may enter its borders. Therefore, the Boundary Waters has changed little since its unveiling when the glaciers melted 10,000 years ago.
Over one million acres in size, the BWCAW extends nearly 150 miles along the Minnesota/Canadian border. With over 1,200 miles of canoe routes, nearly 2,200 designated campsites and more than 1,000 lakes and streams, the BWCAW is an amazing place to experience the wilderness. It contains portage-linked lakes and streams, interspersed with islands, forests and ancient granite crags, offering outstanding opportunities for world-class paddling, solitude, remoteness, teamwork, adventure and challenge. It is also home to a healthy diversity of plant and animal life including massive white pine and cedar groves, black bear, timber wolves, bald eagles and river otter. The Boundary Waters has no piped water, prepared shelters or signs to point the way. Within these borders you can canoe, portage and camp in the spirit of the French-Canadian Voyageurs of 200 years ago. The Boundary Waters' paddling routes offer outstanding opportunities for solitude, remoteness, teamwork, adventure and challenge. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ and Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) nations.
“The program was comprehensive in its problem solving approach. If only one person “changes” that isn't enough to attempt to support and understand the kid. Parent involvement was key! We also liked that the course was HARD.” – Sue, Parent of Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
“Thank you in all you do to provide a safe, thoughtful, fun, challenging, caring and bold experience for the students and families! My daughter completed a 50-day Intercept program and has had a major reset of her self-confidence, goals and attitude. She is a joy to be around again …and after only three days home says she misses trail life and after four days home left to go camping - it's spectacular. Thank you all!” – Parent of Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
“I liked that this program mirrors life in our home; that it uses mother nature to teach life lessons, then tools for what occurs in life back home.” – Carol, Parent of Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
"Outward Bound has been a life changing tool that has allowed me to stop and take a second look at the path I want to go down, versus the path I have been following. Living with a group of individuals has taught me a lot about perspective and that everyone has their struggles but there's always a way to push past them. I'm leaving this course with a new understanding of empathy and accountability while leaving behind my negative energy towards others. I will remember the Outward Bound community and what they stand for." – Mark, Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
“When I get home, I can tell people that Outward Bound reminded me about who I really am and want to be. It kickstarted that change into being a better person.” – Marisa, Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
"This course changed my life. I challenged myself physically and mentally everyday whether that was paddling and portaging or having conversations on how I can better myself with my group." – Elizabeth, Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Admissions Advisors (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.