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High School

Boundary Waters – Canoe, Rock Climb & High Ropes

Want a big summer? This is it. Water, rocks, ropes. A real, authentic wilderness expedition. Call it an adventure, but don’t call it “camp.” No cushy cabins or gaga ball. Get out of here and go big.

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Use a 529 College Savings Plan.

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Boundary Waters, MN

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CB20 Course Overview

About This Course

Activity

  • The image shows a simple, stylized drawing of a canoe in blue against a black background. The canoe is depicted with curved lines outlining its shape, and there are horizontal lines inside the canoe to suggest its structure or design. The style is reminiscent of a basic illustration or icon, with a focus on clear, recognizable shapes rather than detailed realism. Canoeing
  • The image shows a stylized, blue drawing of a foot and ankle, possibly representing a ballet dancer's foot in a pointe shoe. The foot is positioned vertically, with the toes pointing downwards. The drawing has a simple, almost cartoonish style, with thick lines outlining the shape of the foot and shoe. The background is black, which makes the blue drawing stand out. The image could be used to represent dance, movement, or elegance. Rock Climbing
  • The image shows a blue rope against a black background. The rope is coiled and appears to be somewhat thick. The blue color of the rope stands out against the dark backdrop, making it the focal point of the image. The rope's texture and the way it's coiled add visual interest to the otherwise simple composition. Ropes Course
  • The image shows a stylized, blue-outlined graphic against a black background. Two hands are cupped together, as if holding or presenting something delicate. Above the hands, there are three leaf-like shapes, suggesting a plant or nature. The overall impression is one of care, growth, or environmental stewardship. The simplicity of the design and the use of a single color give it a clean and modern look. Service Projects

Setting & Location

  • The image shows a simple, hand-drawn style illustration of three evergreen trees, possibly pine or fir trees. They are depicted in a solid blue color against a white background. The trees are stylized with jagged edges to represent the needles and branches, giving them a whimsical and slightly abstract appearance. The trunks are simple vertical lines. Forest
  • The image shows a blue silhouette of a landscape against a black background. The landscape includes trees, mountains, and water, possibly a lake or river. The style is simple and graphic, resembling a logo or emblem. The scene evokes a sense of nature and tranquility, with the dark background emphasizing the blue elements of the natural landscape. Lake
  • airplane Course Start Location: Duluth, MN
  • airplane Course End Location: Duluth, MN

Students Can Earn

  • College Credit

Session Details

5 sessions are available for this course

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What You’ll Learn

Forge an epic adventure! On Outward Bound courses for high schoolers, you’ll make new friends and face exciting new challenges together while building communication and leadership skills that help your group soar to new heights!

What You'll Do

This is Outward Bound. Don’t just learn to survive out here, thrive out here. Join a new crew of friends to explore wild places and your own potential. Learn to lead a true wilderness expedition and walk away with memories, friends, and resilience.

Where You'll Be

Established in 1978, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) in Minnesota is a beautiful labyrinth of over one million acres of lakes, streams, and rock that’s true American wilderness - no roads, power lines, or motorized craft allowed.

Why It Matters

High school is hard work – take a break and do something memorable! You’ll explore new places, make friends, and learn skills that will expand your belief in what’s possible. We are crew, not passengers which means you’ll share responsibility for your crew’s success through teamwork, communication, and leadership. Let’s go!

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CB11 Scrolling Bullets

Classic Courses for High School

What if you had space to feel more connected to yourself, to others, and to the challenging world around you?

Educational Approach

Two Week Courses

You and your crew will participate in unique activities, forging skills to thrive! Sounding your own voice – and considering others’ – you’ll have time to try new ways of working together in a supportive environment. Connecting in moments of harmony and productive struggle, you and your crew will get to ask yourselves big questions like: “Who am I; who are YOU; and how can we best get along?”

Three Week Courses

You’ll develop valuable teamwork skills, sharing failures and wins while having epic adventures! You and your crew will establish a thoughtful community, bonding through hard-earned success. You’ll learn how to both lead and support your group. And you get to uncover the answer to big questions like: “Who am I; who are YOU; and how can we sustain a strong, connected crew?”

Us. But Better

You and your crew will learn how to support each other’s success, boldly tackling challenges and persevering together through epic adventures! Our skilled instructors protect the time and space students need to both recognize your strengths and consider the strengths of others.

Connection and Care

Focusing on building a connected group where each student’s unique personality is valued, you and your crew will practice the communication skills you need to feel safe, cared for, and pay forward that care for each other on this teen wilderness expedition.

CB31 Media Gallery

Life on Course

Make new friends, sleep under the stars, and learn outdoor adventure skills to feel empowered in navigating life’s ever-changing tides.

You’ll learn the art of paddling a canoe in a variety of conditions, climb rugged rock formations, and master map and compass reading. Groups navigate a variety of waterways, such as lakes, rivers, and swamps, and work as a team to carry packs and canoes over portage trails. Once at camp, it’s possible to quietly observe bald eagles, moose, and peaceful sunsets on mirror-calm lakes. Together with your Instructors and crew, learn how to care for one another, work together, and practice essential skills to prepare for new challenges at school, home, and in the community.

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CB39 Table Feature

Sample Itinerary

Here’s an example of what your course itinerary might look like. The actual plan will depend on permits, weather, group skills, and instructor evaluation.

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15-Day Course

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Day 1 Course start
Day 2-4 Canoe training expedition (introductory lessons in canoeing, portaging, camp-craft, cooking over a fire, and navigation).
Day 5 Rock climbing
Day 6-8 Main canoeing expedition
Day 9-10 Solo
Day 11-12 Final canoeing expedition
Day 13 Community service project
Day 14-15 Personal Challenge Event and course end ceremonies.

22-Day Course

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Day 1 Course start
Day 2-7 Canoe training expedition (introductory lessons in canoeing, portaging, camp-craft, cooking over a fire, and navigation).
Day 8 Rock climbing
Day 9-12 Main canoeing expedition
Day 13-15 Solo
Day 16-18 Final canoeing expedition
Day 19-20 Community service project
Day 21-22 Personal Challenge Event and course end ceremonies.
CB27 Pull Quotes

I have learned that both my mood and body can do so much more than I gave them credit for. The mantra of one of my instructors motivated me to try everything despite fearing failure, and I will continue to keep it in my mind my whole life: “Your body can do anything if your mind lets it.

Zoe

It was an amazing experience that enabled me to push my mental and physical limits. Through this journey, I was able to identify my needs for the future ahead. I also pushed myself to show vulnerability to my peers by opening up to them about my past struggles.

Addie

Never once would I have thought that I could emotionally have been able to challenge myself like I have on this course. Truly, I appreciate the privilege of this. It has created an impact and prepared me for the real world. It has also helped me find my place with myself and learn how to really live to my full potential.

JR

CB17 FAQs

FAQs

Is prior experience necessary?

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No prior experience is necessary to participate in an Outward Bound expedition! Our talented instructing staff will start the course by going over the basic skills needed for backcountry travel. All we ask is that students come prepared for and open to new experiences. We’ll handle the rest!

How can I be physically prepared to attend the course?

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Students do not need to be in peak physical condition to complete course successfully. However, it’s always a good idea to physically prepare for the course ahead of time to increase comfort, especially at the start of your journey. Check out how to physically prepare for course through our Preparing for Course page.

How will I know what to bring?

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Outward Bound will provide the activity-specific and camping equipment for the course, including tents, tarps, backpacks, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, and cookware etc. You will receive a packing list of items to bring, consisting mainly of clothing*, footwear, personal items, and toiletries after applying. If you’d like to see a packing list for a specific expedition ahead of time, reach out to our Customer Success Team at 866-467-7651 or [email protected]. A Customer Success Specialist will be happy to provide this information!

*Pro tip: Not everything on your pack list needs to be brand new! See what items you can thrift or find at a second-hand gear store

THERE'S A BREAKTHROUGH OUT HERE. THERE'S A BREAKTHROUGH OUT HERE. THERE'S A BREAKTHROUGH OUT HERE. THERE'S A BREAKTHROUGH OUT HERE.
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