Outward Bound Adventures, One of Pasadena’s ‘Best Kept Secrets’ in Youth Development, Hosts Open House This Week

Pasadena’s beloved organization Outward Bound Adventures has been shaping the minds of the local youth since 1959 and shows no signs of stopping any time soon. The OBA has since expanded beyond the city limits and evolved into a nationally recognized organization that uses the out of doors to educate youth and families about the environment and stewardship, promote self-development and provide outdoor career exposure to urban youth.

This staple organization is welcoming anyone and everyone to its open house Thursday to spotlight the staff, students and revered programs that have brought tens of thousands of kids through its doors and into the wilderness for over five decades of service.

“There’s a little slice of wilderness in all of us and after fifty four years we are still relevant and one of Pasadena’s best kept secrets in youth development,” said 45 year OBA veteran and Executive Director Charles Thomas.

OBA uses the wilderness, urban communities and classroom settings to teach youth and families about the natural world. It engages them in long-term outdoor initiatives and environmental learning activities that promote self-mastery, accountability, health and community service.

OBA was originally founded by then Cleveland Elementary teacher Helen Mary Williams and focused on providing outdoor experiences for students who were primarily African-American, Asian, and Hispanic youth from economically disadvantaged families.

Urban and low income people of color have traditionally played a small role and have been absent in outdoor education, according to Thomas.

“There’s a little bit of wilderness in all of us. It’s a wonderful place to get back in touch with yourself. There’s a unmedicated stillness about the outdoors that you cannot get anywhere near in the city to what you can experience out there,” said Thomas.

The program gives students a full experience without having to work about any outdoor necessities. OBA provides he best of camping equipment, transportation, trained adult supervision, life changing programs, healthy food and culturally relevant instruction.

Six key ares of focus are: Eco-Literacy and Cultural-Literacy, Teambuilding and Leadership Physical Challenge, Stewardship and Leave No Trace ethics, Outdoor Careers in Conservation and Community Cooking.

“That sense of commitment, passion and leadership is something that has always been around. I think once these young people discover it within themselves, they are hooked and it becomes meaningful,” said OBA Office Administrator David Quintin.

The average residence time for a youth member in OBA is approximately four years with many going on to eventually work for the OBA or work with other organizations such as the U.S. Forestry Service and others.

“We’re giving these kids alternatives and options to something they traditionally would have never had access to. It’s another career path, but it’s also a way to self mastery. The self mastery and self reliance that you learn while being int he wilderness is unparalleled to most careers,” said Thomas.

OBA had over 470 students go through their program last year alone and includes kids from various parts of L.A. County and the San Gabriel Valley, according to Quintin. OBA works directly with PUSD and the city of Pasadena to get the word out and recruit young people to get involved.

“They provided team building exercises and lead a group of John Muir High School students on a hiking trip last year. We’re in conversations to take more full advantage of the opportunities that Outward Bound Adventures Adventures can make available to John Muir High School students,” said PUSD Family and Community Engagement Coordinator Hilda Ramirez about the trips that range from overnight camping to twenty day wilderness excursions.

Since its inception, OBA has profoundly impacted the Southern California community, helping approximately 70,000 urban children, young adults and families identify new vistas for their lives by gaining effective leadership skills and personal confidence through challenging outdoor trips to excel in their urban environment, according to the website.

“The OBA has an ability to flex and morph to better serve a culture that’s changing over time as we came into a serious electronic age. We’ve been able to still make the outdoors, a non electronic universe, relevant to a young urban population,” said Thomas.

According to Thomas, OBA focuses on creating qualified and urban based instructors that the kids can easily identify with on several levels to create relationships that last even on hiking adventures that can last up to twenty days in the wilderness.

“OBA has single handedly demonstrated to the nation that this population does want to be apart of the outdoor conversation sector. We’re trying to provide access and opportunity to get folks out and connected to the outdoors in a way that is understandable, palatable and much appreciated,” explained Thomas.

Today, OBA is a national leader in outdoor education. Its programs have been adopted as models by outdoor agencies nationally. It has received such prestigious awards as the National Mosaic Award given to organizations that facilitate opportunities to urban youth of color through meaningful environmental and advocacy programs.

If one thing is for sure, OBA is here to stay.

For more information, visit http://www.obainc.org.