Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center
“There is more in us than we know. If we can be made to see it, perhaps for the rest of our lives we will be unwilling to settle for less.”
The quote above is from Outward Bound founder Kurt Hahn. I spent much of 2018 living on a beautiful island in Boston Harbor working for Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center, which offers socio-emotional and STEM learning experiences for students from Boston public middle schools free of charge to the kids.
I moved into a dorm on the island and was quickly thrust into ACA Kayak Guide training, which consisted of seven intense days paddling around the Boston Harbor Islands while also training in behavior management, interacting with new co-workers, and working with new managers.
That first training expedition was my first sea-kayaking expedition with Outward Bound. I then instructed a number of seven day expeditions with students from Boston public schools. Working with those students and spending weeks with them out in the harbor was a life-changing experience.
The core principals of Outward Bound’s teachings are self-reliance, physical fitness, craftsmanship, and compassion. As expedition instructors, we taught students the basics of outdoor survival structured around these core ideals. We built in socio-emotional learning exercises and challenges to help students find their voice. It was incredible to watch the growth our students went through in one week in the outdoors.
After a challenging season where we lost access to running water on the island, I decided to pivot in my career towards graphic design.
Kate Jamison 