Disrupt your routines and discover new tools for communication on this four-week canoeing expedition, specifically designed for girls and gender-expansive students, in the magnificent pristine lakes and forests of northern Minnesota.
At Outward Bound, we are crew, not passengers. We support each other and share in our challenges and our victories. Your crew becomes a critical piece of your experience while on course, and beyond! While all our courses are inclusive for all gender identities, we understand the value of affinity spaces, too. During this time of development, when young people need a safe and supportive space, this course builds self-esteem and community, and creates opportunities to make lifelong friends. This course is specially designed for girls and gender-expansive students who are looking for this kind of community during their course. And when we say “for girls,” we mean we believe trans-girls are girls. You are welcome here – let’s adventure together!
Designed to help families rebuild strong, healthy relationships, this backcountry canoe expedition is specifically designed to help teen girls disrupt their routines and to discover tools for communication and self-advocacy, positive decision-making, and strengthening interpersonal relationships. The journey begins with a wilderness canoeing expedition and concludes with a family seminar to support a successful transition back to home life. Within the structure of a backcountry expedition, students experience the thrills of adventure, the satisfaction of a hard day’s work and the camaraderie of a supportive team in a classroom unlike any other.
During the course, Instructors facilitate activities that build teamwork, communication and conflict resolution skills. They help students set goals and make better decisions and encourage each student to find the leader within themselves. Affinity group courses allow for more open space to talk about fears and concerns, provide greater chances for girls to take leadership roles, and lessens the potential for stereotyping behaviors to occur. The course concludes with a two-day community service project and a three-day intensive family seminar. This workshop helps the entire family transfer the experience into a model for everyday life. Families come away with new problem-solving tools, a fresh optimism and outlook, and a plan for future success.
Ropes Course, Service, Whitewater Kayaking, Rock Climbing
Skills
Technical
Basic First Aid
Basic Paddle Strokes
Belaying a Climber
Campcraft
Food Preparation and Cooking
Map and Compass
Navigation
Safety and Risk Management
Self Care
Travel Techniques
Interpersonal
Anger Management
Character
Communication
Conflict Resolution
Empathy
Leadership
Positive Risk Taking
Self Awareness
Self Confidence
Service
UPCOMING COURSES
This course is closed for the season.
APPLY NOW This means a course has several open spots and is actively processing applications.
APPLY NOW – Almost Full This means there are three or fewer currently available spots left on a course. To secure your spot click Apply Now to begin an application!
JOIN WAITLIST Once a course has reached capacity, three waitlist positions become available. To join a course’s waitlist, click “Join Waitlist” to begin the application process. A $500 deposit is required. This $500 deposit includes a $150 non-refundable application fee and a $350 tuition payment. The $350 tuition payment is refundable only if you cancel your waitlist application or if an open position does not become available. If a position does become available, the applicant will be applied to the open position and the Application and Cancellation Policies of the Regional Outward Bound School will be followed, including forfeiture of the $500 deposit if you cancel 90 days or less prior to the course start date.
Waitlist applicants are encouraged to complete all required admissions documents while awaiting an open position. Positions may become available up to two weeks prior to the course start date. Applicants may only apply to one course. We recommend applying to a course with open positions instead of a course that is accepting waitlist applications. If you have questions, please call 866-467-7651 to speak with one of our Admissions Advisors.
CALL TO APPLY This means a course is very close to its start date. Although it is unlikely to secure a spot this late, you can call the National Admissions office at 866-467-7651 to discuss your options.
COURSE IS FULL When a course has reached maximum capacity, meaning all spots and the three waitlist spots are occupied, a course will read “Course Is Full.” This means applications are no longer being accepted.
CLOSED As a course nears its start date, the availability status may read “Closed.” In this event, a course roster has been finalized and applications are no longer being accepted or processed.
Sample Itinerary
DAY1
Course start
DAY2-8
Canoe training expedition (introductory lessons in canoeing, portaging, camp-craft, cooking over a fire and navigation)
DAY9
Layover day at Basswood Falls
DAY10-14
Main canoeing expedition and rock climbing
DAY15-17
Solo
DAY18-21
Final canoeing expedition
DAY22-25
Students arrive back on base, clean gear and participate in ropes course, whitewater kayaking and a Personal Challenge Event; Parents/Guardians arrive in Duluth, MN.
DAY26
Students participate in a local community service project while parents begin the family seminar
DAY27
Reunion & family conference
DAY28
Graduation and travel home
The skills my child and I got from this program are so helpful! Having a common language is powerful, as is having her have the opportunity to practice the skills in a controlled environment. If I had tried to teach her these things at home it would have been very difficult. The metaphors like the one used for climbing and belaying were so helpful because our child actually got to have that experience.
— SusanParent of Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
Growing is tough, we get it. And when it comes to doing hard things, having a good crew matters. That’s why we built Intercept. Outward Bound's Intercept program is for families with teens who are facing challenging circumstances and need a reset. Parents can read more about that here.
For students, these expeditions are specifically designed to help you disrupt your routines; have fun; make friends; and to discover tools to help you communicate, make positive decisions, and strengthen your relationships, both on course and when you get home. We’ll help you develop and practice these skills during exciting adventures where teamwork and your individual strengths will contribute to the success of your crew. And your family will join us for the last three days of the program, in a workshop with you and your instructors where you can demonstrate what you’ve learned and talk to your family about how to support your continued growth.
Build skills, form connections: Learn and practice wilderness skills while working on interpersonal and group dynamics. Faced with the natural challenges of wilderness travel, students confront obstacles that require real-time, cooperative decision-making, respect and focused attention to detail – all of which are vital characteristics for life beyond the expedition.
Value strengths and strengthen values: Students are carefully mentored through the process of self-discovery as they are encouraged to take calculated risks and make choices with natural consequences. Developing different approaches to daily trials, seeking increasingly positive outcomes, students learn adaptability and experience the relationship between choices and consequences in the real world.
Demonstrate mastery: As the crew progresses, students are allowed to take on more leadership and decision-making responsibilities and all the joys and challenges that come with taking charge. Working both together and independently to achieve goals, students learn new skills to solve problems and succeed.
Bridge the gap: Students prepare to reunite with families and transfer Outward Bound successes to lives back home. This process involves two days of volunteer work and culminates with a facilitated conversation between students and their families.
What you’ll learn: Students come home with new communication strategies, improved conflict resolution skills and a keen awareness of themselves and others.
With the support of Outward Bound’s Intercept program, and the dedicated involvement of both students and their families, relationships start fresh, perceived limitations are overcome, new opportunities emerge and new futures are created.
Students embark on an unsupported wilderness canoeing expedition; meaning they carry with them everything they will need for a three-week adventure. Expert Instructors teach the art of paddling a canoe in a variety of conditions, as well as map and compass reading, route finding and Recreate Responsibly ethics. Groups navigate a variety of waterways such as lakes, rivers and marshland, enjoying the pristine air, water and forests of the untouched wilderness. Working as a team, students carry packs and canoes over portage trails that bridge the land between bodies of water or to get safely around challenging rapids. Traveling by canoe allows groups to go far past where motorboats operate. Once there, it is possible to quietly observe all the wonders around them, like bald eagles, moose and peaceful sunsets on mirror-calm lakes.
During climbing days, students learn about general rock climbing equipment, safety and etiquette. Students have many opportunities to climb, belay and rappel while learning and employing safety systems that are compliant with national standards. The rock climbing sites provide a number of different route options including cracks, sheer faces and chimneys. Regardless of a student’s rock climbing background, they are sure to find a route that will encourage them to expand their comfort zone and accomplish their goals.
The incredible ropes course is located 30 feet in the air and looks out over the top of the boreal forest. Students swing from Tarzan ropes, walk on tightrope wires and climb a cargo net before jumping on the zip line for an exhilarating ride back to solid ground. This opportunity creates space for students to individually challenge themselves while being supported by their team at the end of their expedition experience.
The Solo experience provides an important break from the rigors of the expedition and gives students the opportunity to reflect on their Outward Bound experience. With all the food, skills and supplies they need, students are given a secluded spot to reflect alone, and are monitored by staff throughout the experience to maintain safety. The duration of Solo depends on the course length and type, as well as the competency and preparedness of the student group.
Many students use this reflection time to make decisions about their future, journal and enjoy the beauty of their surroundings unencumbered by the constant external stimulation of modern life. Students find that Solo provokes profound and powerful learning in a short period of time and often becomes one of the most memorable parts of their Outward Bound experience.
Service is a cornerstone of every Outward Bound experience. From the seemingly small, daily acts of service to the environment and the expedition team to the post-expedition service-learning projects, students have ample opportunities to experience the value of giving back to the larger community. On the expedition, students are encouraged to practice environmental stewardship in the form of Recreate Responsibly ethics. Students also practice regular acts of service for their team, including preparing and serving meals, helping others put on or take off packs, or setting up shelters for the entire team.
After the expedition, students participate in two days of organized service to the community. These projects are designed to offer as much interaction with local communities as possible, as a way of exchanging cultural awareness and fostering a sense of connection to the larger world. The specific type of service project depends on local needs and opportunities but could include serving at a soup kitchen, homeless shelter, senior center, nature center, or horse ranch for underprivileged youth.
By the end of the course, students have made great strides. They have learned how to balance freedom and responsibility, how to be part of a team and how to make positive choices. They feel a sense of pride in themselves and their accomplishments and have a fresh perspective and outlook on their lives. But how do teens and families translate the incredible Intercept experience into lasting positive change? Parents or guardians are a critical link in the success of the Intercept experience and have the opportunity to think through their relationship with their teen by using a comprehensive workbook. At the intensive three-day seminar, Instructors help translate the student experience to parents and guardians, giving families an opportunity to practice tools and strategies used on the expedition, creating a solid foundation of understanding and support for the path ahead.
As a part of the family seminar, families meet one-on-one with at least one of the expedition Instructors to learn how their young adult fared on the course. They hear a detailed account of what the course was like, the struggles and successes of the group and how their young adult handled the challenges. Together, with an Instructor acting as a facilitator, families come up with a new agreement to guide life at home. The goal for the family is to re-establish healthy roles and connections, restore any past harm, rebuild trust and create clear expectations for the future. The goal for the student is to have a voice in the direction their life takes and to clearly understand and commit to their responsibilities in order to earn trust and more freedom at home.
Courses are offered in a variety of locations and for different lengths to provide a range of programming from which participants can choose the optimal experience for them. Longer courses allow for a full immersion into the Outward Bound experience, more time to practice wilderness travel and the opportunity to experience both success and failure to promote personal growth.
The Intercept course offers the opportunity to be fully removed from the temptations and triggers of day-to-day life and start fresh with new habits and new life lessons. Students can expect to get comfortable living and working together in the wilderness while creating a solid foundation of communication, problem solving and decision making skills that they can continue to build on after course. With the added support of parent or guardian involvement, students are able to take lessons they’ve learned on course back to their home lives and implement the changes they want to see.
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Minnesota Established in 1978, the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW) is a labyrinth of lakes and rocks that has been specifically protected as a true American wilderness. No roads, power lines or motorized craft may enter its borders. Therefore, the Boundary Waters has changed little since its unveiling when the glaciers melted 10,000 years ago.
Over one million acres in size, the BWCAW extends nearly 150 miles along the Minnesota/Canadian border. With over 1,200 miles of canoe routes, nearly 2,200 designated campsites and more than 1,000 lakes and streams, the BWCAW is an amazing place to experience the wilderness. It contains portage-linked lakes and streams, interspersed with islands, forests and ancient granite crags, offering outstanding opportunities for world-class paddling, solitude, remoteness, teamwork, adventure and challenge. It is also home to a healthy diversity of plant and animal life including massive white pine and cedar groves, black bear, timber wolves, bald eagles and river otter. The Boundary Waters has no piped water, prepared shelters or signs to point the way. The Boundary Waters' paddling routes offer outstanding opportunities for solitude, remoteness, teamwork, adventure and challenge. These regions are the ancestral lands of the Anishinabewaki ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ and Očeti Šakówiŋ (Sioux) nations.
Course Stories
The skills my child and I got from this program are so helpful!
The skills my child and I got from this program are so helpful! Having a common language is powerful, as is having her have the opportunity to practice the skills in a controlled environment. If I had tried to teach her these things at home it would have been very difficult. The metaphors like the one used for climbing and belaying were so helpful because our child actually got to have that experience.
— SusanParent of Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
I cannot thank you enough for bringing a light to the end of our tunnel.
I will highly recommend this course. It has changed our daughter and I really think the changes will stick. So much change in fact, she wants to work here when she gets older. I cannot thank you enough for bringing a light to the end of our tunnel.
— ColleenParent of Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
I really like the addition of the family seminar as a means to give families tools and provide support.”
I liked that the principles of Outward Bound were extended to a particular segment of families that have distinct needs. I really like the addition of the family seminar as a means to give families tools and to provide families with support for each other. The relationships with staff were very professional, yet warm.
— BrendaParent of Voyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
It kickstarted that change into being a better person.
When I get home, I can tell people that Outward Bound reminded me about who I really am and want to be. It kickstarted that change into being a better person.
— MarisaVoyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
This course changed my life.
This course changed my life. I challenged myself physically and mentally everyday whether that was paddling and portaging or having conversations on how I can better myself with my group.
— ElizabethVoyageur Outward Bound School Intercept Alum
My Outward Bound experience was like nothing I have ever done before.”
My Outward Bound experience was like nothing I have ever done before. From the start everything that happened was nothing that I expected, and each surprise taught me something new. I made great friends and overcame many of my personal struggles. Although the expedition required physical strength, the mental strength I gained will change me forever. I wouldn’t have wanted to go through the challenges of this past month with any other people. My group has my whole heart.
— IsabelIntercept Alum
I feel much more confident, happier, more alive, and I honestly don’t want to leave at all.
I feel much more confident, happier, more alive, and I honestly don’t want to leave at all. This trip is really cool, we saw a huge TRIPLE RAINBOW, a moose, and tons of bald eagles. If you are having a rough time at home, it is very nice to get away from it. I would really recommend that whoever is reading this does this course, it is only a month of your life, and it will help you, I can almost guarantee.
— ElsieIntercept Alum
This course helped me in so many ways.
This course helped me in so many ways mentally, I have learned how to have conversations about conflicts in a calm tone. The girls and instructors on this course were very helpful on mentally teaching me how to connect with others in a helpful and calm way.
— MiaIntercept Alum
I appreciate that my group tried to understand me.
I learned how to communicate better, that I am independent and stronger than I thought I was. Physically and mentally. I appreciated that my group tried to understand me and we all learned how to deal with each other. I have become more self-aware about my actions and the things I say. A special memory was that I portaged 180 rods and made tons of friends. I had a great experience and I think every kid should go through an experience like this.
If you are ready to enroll on a course click the enroll button next to the course you wish to select or you can enroll over the phone by speaking with one of our Admissions Advisors (toll-free) at 866-467-7651.
To secure your spot on a course you must submit an enrollment form and $500 deposit that is applied toward the total cost of the course and includes a $150 non-refundable enrollment processing fee.