Hi,
Maybe this will throw more light on what Outbound programs are all about…..
What is Outbound:
OB is based on the principle of Experiential Learning. Those of us who are actively involved in this process of learning don’t like to associate the word “training” to it. As we feel that and training is best given for learning a skill rather than a behavior and this people best learn from their experiences. In OB Programs participants are put through activities, simulating real life situations, that help them to know self and others in a group. Through these activities the participants are made aware of the gap, if any exists, between “Knowing the way” and “Going the way”. The programme is conducted in a Non- threatening environment, where in the consequences of all actions are only Learning.
Genesis:
Outbound is nothing new to our country. Our epics are full of instances where the members of the royal families went to wilderness to learn battle craft, state craft etc. However the term "Outward Bound was coined during World War II, and used to provide young sailors with the experiences and skills necessary to survive at sea."
The first Outward Bound program was inspired by, a German educator, who responded to the needs of Lawrence Holt, head of the Blue Funnel Shipping Line, a merchant shipping company.Holt's problem was this -- during World War II, young merchant seaman were not surviving as well as their older counterparts in lifeboat situations, after their ships had been torpedoed by German U-boats. Hahn figured he knew why -- that the younger sailors had not enough life experience. What's more, the old sailors had been brought up in an age of sail, and learnt lots of practical skills and dealt with difficult situations before, giving them more confidence and ability to cope with demanding challenges.
"Outward Bound" was the name chosen by Holt. "Outward Bound" is a nautical term used to refer to the flag flown on a ship when it was soon to leave port. It was a signal to the sailors that it was time to return to ship if the "Outward Bound" flag was flying. "Outward Bound" literally refers to the moment a ship leave's harbor. Similarly, Outbound learning programs intend taking people out in wilderness, away from their comfort zones in order to help then understand themselves better.
How is it conducted:
The platform used is David Kolb’s “Adult Learning Cycle”. The cycle commences by putting the participants through an activity. This activity is followed by a reflection process which focusses on what happened during the activity. The reflection is used by the facilitators to help the participants identify traits that are functional/dysfunctional or enablers/disablers. This identification, or learning, is then validated by applying it to another activity which throws up fresh learning. This process of activity - reflection - learning - application - activity continues in a spiral till the end of the program.
Let me know if you need further information on the same….
Take Care, Mamta