Impact and Evaluation

Research has shown that young people of all backgrounds face challenges at every stage of their education and transition into employment; challenges that many struggle to overcome.

Throughout adolescence, young people become less confident and less resilient than when they were children; their well-being declines and during periods of transition they are more likely to lose confidence in their abilities, experience anxiety and disengage with learning.  Low well-being is known to predict a wide range of negative outcomes later in life.

When they enter into employment, many young people find that they are unprepared for the demands of working life, and employers report significant gaps in their skills.

However, young people say they want to learn.  They want opportunities for real-life learning that prepare them for the world of work. 


Our outdoor learning courses can have a positive and sustained effect on young people’s attitudes, skills and behaviour.

Our courses help them to become more effective and more confident in their ability to achieve anything they set out to do. They are able to face challenges head on and deal with situations in a mature way.


Evaluation of our courses continues to show that they promote conﬁdence and capability in young people, helping them to develop a more positive outlook on life.

Their emotional well-being and overall satisfaction with life improves and they develop a range of skills, from determination to the ability to set and achieve goals. These skills are then transferred back into everyday life.

When I came back, everyone thought I was taller because the course made me feel more confident about myself. It made me feel more like it didn't matter that I don’t fit in at school, because I met loads of people at Outward Bound who didn't think that and were much nicer. Hannah, Aged 14