Diversifying the outdoors since 1962.


Outward Bound Adventures (OBA) is the oldest non-profit in the nation dedicated to outdoor education for BIPOC youth. OBA is a pioneer of Transformational Experiential Environmental Education (TEEE). Every OBA course is designed to challenge and empower youth with environmental education that changes their perspective about themselves and their surroundings. 

Seven Areas of focus

Eco - Literacy

Participants become intimately connected to nature through discovery based education that deepens ecological understanding of their surroundings and bolsters curiosity.

Cultural Literacy

Every course curriculum highlights the important role indigenous cultures and other ethnic groups have played in managing the natural landscapes participants visit.

Community Building

Youth are challenged with problem-solving initiatives as fun group activities designed to develop a growth mindset, self mastery, and foster an environment of cooperation.

Physical Challenge

Physical and mental challenges on courses help youth develop tools to overcome perceived obstacles while creating opportunities for youth to incorporate movement into their lives.

Leadership Development

Hands-on activities and leadership initiatives teach participants fundamental leadership characteristics and define the value of authentic leadership.

Conservation Careers

Participants are introduced to careers in conservation and opportunities for paid and volunteer environmental work experiences that help them build their resumes.

Stewardship Ethics

The Leave No Trace Principles teach participants the value of being land stewards and the importance of giving back by implementing Leave No Trace in their own neighborhoods.

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More than a half century ago, OBA founders knew that courage can only be built through practice. They practiced courage and established new frontiers on social and natural landscapes by taking youth of color with an inherited disadvantage into the wilderness. OBA’s vision then and now is to teach youth how to change the world by changing their view and living in kinship with nature.

Charles Thomas

Executive Director of OBA

What's New

By Logan Patton October 11, 2024
Celebrating the diversity of OBA’s impact: From receiving the prestigious Leave No Trace Award at the Global Summit 2024 to empowering youth through environmental stewardship and hands-on wilderness experiences.
By Logan Patton July 25, 2024
East Los Angeles Youth go for the Gold...Country!
By Logan Patton June 26, 2024
OBA Executive Director Charles Thomas Speaks in Support of Bill AB2465 In a significant step towards advancing equity and sustainability in agriculture and conservation, Charles Thomas, Executive Director of Outward Bound Adventures, recently spoke on the Senate floor in support of AB 2465. This bill, which successfully passed out of the Senate Natural Resources Committee, aims to broaden the scope of support for socially disadvantaged farmers, ranchers, and organizations. “People of color have grown tired of endorsing a system where we play a small role that keeps us powerless. AB 2465 will be an instrument of equity, a tool that will promote a presence for us and franchise us into a structure not built for or by us,” Thomas stated. Generally, the funding gap between diverse and white-led organizations is clear and systemic. For example, Black and Latino nonprofit leaders receive only about 4% of philanthropic funding in the U.S., though they make up approximately 10% of nonprofit leadership nationwide. According to a Bridgespan analysis, the unrestricted net assets of black-led organizations are 76% smaller than their white-led counterparts, and their average percentage of revenue was less than half. AB 2465 seeks to expand the definition of socially disadvantaged groups under the Farmer Equity Act of 2017 to include descendants of enslaved persons in the United States. Additionally, the bill mandates that various state entities, including the Wildlife Conservation Board and the Department of Conservation, prioritize grant funding for socially disadvantaged organizations until January 1, 2031. Charles’ address underscores the commitment of Outward Bound Adventures to fostering diversity and equity in outdoor and environmental education. His support for AB 2465 aligns with the organization's mission to provide nature-based experiences to underserved youth and communities, advocating for broader systemic changes that benefit all. 
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