About
Diversifying the Outdoors since 1962.
Outward Bound Adventures (OBA) is the oldest non-profit in the nation dedicated to outdoor education for BIPOC youth and families.
OBA’s earliest roots began in 1959 as a gathering of friends and family dedicated to getting youth of color into nature.
Under the direction of Helen Mary Williams, Bud Ross, and Helen and Leroy Criss, the group formed a Jr. Audubon science club. Helen Mary Williams was a science teacher at Cleveland Elementary. Helen Criss, a school counselor at John Muir High School, and her husband, Leroy Criss, football coach at LA High, brought their children to the science club. Bud Ross, an avid mountaineer and one of the first African American people to join the Los Angeles Sierra Club, also brought his sons to the club. At a time when schools in Pasadena were still pretty much segregated, the diverse group of students and teachers were revolutionaries of diversity and inclusion in the outdoors.
Today, Outward Bound Adventures (OBA) is the oldest non-profit in the nation providing BIPOC youth and families with learning through conservation and environmental expeditions. OBA focuses on serving the overlooked, low-income, and avoided populations in a wide array of California communities; Los Angeles, Inland Empire, Coachella, and San Bernardino.
OBA will ensure that youth from diverse communities will have access to nature, environmental education, leadership development and preparation for careers in conservation.
In addition to youth environmental education, OBA is dedicated to continued workforce development through the Environmental Restoration Teams (ERT) and Diverse Outdoor Leaders Institute (DOLI). These programs codify OBA’s legacy and ensure that careers in conservation are representative of urban communities and people of color.
Impact
Approximately 800 to 1000 young people and their families take part in OBA activities each year on trips ranging from one-day trips to our local forests and monuments to 20-day expeditions in distant wilderness locations. During these trips, they are compassionately challenged physically, academically and emotionally to confront their self-imposed limitations and learn to expand their horizons. OBA trips are known for also bringing diversity to the nation's wilderness areas and encourage the long-term participation among BIPOC youth in environmental careers and ecological and conservation activities.
OBA Diversity
OBA serves a diverse group of youth and families. In the spirit of OBA’s legacy, participants come from a variety of backgrounds, socioeconomic level, and locations. Since its inception, OBA has been dedicated to serving youth and families of color. The following are our youth and staff demographics from last year:
OBA Youth
35% Black
40% Latinx
10% Native American
6% White
2% Asian
7% Multiethnic
OBA Staff
36% Black
41% Latinx
5% Native American
3% White
12% Asian
3% Multiethnic
Program Impact
Measurable Outcomes over the last six years (2019) include:
1,200
Urban youth are served each year
Although OBA’s reach is broad, we strive for deep impact. For every youth, we provide Transformational Experiential Environmental Education. OBA participants are exposed to life changing experiences that foster deep, personal connection to the natural world.
87%
Of kids who go through OBA’s programs graduate from high school
Time spent outdoors has been shown to increase positive social interactions, social cohesion and engagement. OBA participants experience the benefits of outdoor education and a supportive community that is representative of themselves.
90%
Improve their academic performance
Studies show that time spent outdoors improves memory, cognition, and academic performance. Green spaces and forest settings have been shown to improve students’ mood and behavior while decreasing stress levels and feelings of anger and depression.
67%
Go into nature on their own at least once a month
Attending OBA courses helps youth overcome some of the real and perceived barriers that prevent them from getting outside. Inherited disadvantages such as lack of knowledge and lack of access to the outdoors.
90%
Went on 4 or more OBA courses
On OBA courses, youth form deep personal connections with each other, with instructors and with nature. For many youth, the deep rooted sense of community they experience is unique to OBA where they are surrounded by other people of color.
46%
Entered careers in the outdoors or conservation
Through mentorship and networking, OBA participants are introduced to careers in conservation. Some of the careers of OBA alumni include park rangers, forest rangers, outdoor education non-profit directors, conservation NGOs, public land agencies, and recreation retailers.
Projections
50/50 initiative
OBA is committed to the 50/50 Initiative, an environmental justice commitment to serve youth with an inherited disadvantage. This initiative ensures access for overlooked, high risk youth: 50% of whom have no access to the outdoors, and 50% of whom have gone through the justice and/ or foster care systems. Through the 50/50 Initiative, OBA will continue to provide Transformational Experiential Environmental Education (TEEE) to BIPOC youth.
Press
Outward Bound Adventures is the oldest outdoor education non-profit in the United States dedicated to serving BIPOC youth. Check out articles that journalists have written to showcase our impact.
Team Members
Our diverse team come from different backgrounds that lend varied skills and perspectives. All members contribute to the welcoming and supportive environment we build for our youth in the office and on the trail.
Program Manager
Charles Thomas
Board Members
Every member of our board of directors is a thoughtful leader who has made significant contributions to our society. Each one brings a unique set of skills and expertise to our organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Most people have questions when they hear about Outward Bound Adventures and the work we do. If you’re curious about our qualifications, the locations we visit, or what to bring on your OBA course, you can find some answers below!