University of Colorado School of Education
An Assessment of Outward Bound USA’s Urban/Education Initiative,1994
In 1990, Outward Bound U.S.A. initiated a plan for an Urban/Education Initiative with the goal of improving the lives and academic success of inner-city youth. This initiative was the precursor to Expeditionary Learning Outward Bound, which was first implemented in 1993. This study investigates the effects this early initiative had on its schools’ students, staff, programs, partnerships, and practices.
According to the report, early Expeditionary Learning implementation seemed to have noticeable effects on a variety of areas within the school. For teachers and students, the initiative was "perceived as invigorating their  school-based experiences, helping them to teach and learn more effectively, and simply making school a more engaging place to be." (p. i) Both teachers and students in Expeditionary Learning schools saw a significant change in students’ attitudes about school, leading to increased interest and engagement in their schoolwork. This increase in student interest in academic work was followed by an increase in student performance and achievement. The design also appeared to positively affect students’ social development and relations with their peers by teaching skills such as conflict resolution and cooperation. One teacher remarked: "The cooperative aspect, trust, respect–that really carries over. The kids who’ve [been exposed to Expeditionary Learning] are more willing to cooperate. They see each other in a broader light. " (p. 9)
The study found that Expeditionary Learning also taught teachers new and innovative ways to think about education, and encouraged them to reassess traditional teaching practices. Exposure to the Expeditionary Learning design was said to be professionally invigorating and intellectually stimulating for both teachers and school administrators. (p. ii) Furthermore, teachers who had experienced the most exposure to the design were most supportive of the design and were extremely committed to bringing the philosophy of Expeditionary Learning into their classrooms. School Administrators were positively influenced by the Expeditionary Learning design. They appreciated the opportunities the design afforded them to network with colleagues engaged in similar work. They felt this type of networking provided them and their schools with much needed support.
Outward Bound’s original Urban/Education initiative had the goal of improving the lives and academic success of at-risk urban youth. In order to do so, the initiative set out to change the experiences of students, teachers, and administrators of inner city schools. The report indicates that the initiative managed to implement a variety of such positive changes in a relatively short period of time. Not only did the school lives of students begin to improve, but those of teachers and administrators did as well.
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