Outward Bound Singapore
Outward Bound Singapore (Abbreviation: OBS; ; ; ), formerly called Outward Bound School of Singapore (OBSS), is part of the network of Outward Bound centres worldwide. While Outward Bound is well established in many other countries, the Outward Bound centre in Singapore has the distinction of having an 'Excellent' rating for expertise, facilities and safety. Established in 1967, Outward Bound Singapore has a campus, located on the island of Pulau Ubin. History. Initially named the Outward Bound School of Singapore (OBSS), it was founded by then Minister of the Interior and Defence and Deputy Chairman of the People's Association , Goh Keng Swee at Pulau Ubin in Singapore in 1967. From 1970, OBSS was under the management of the Ministry of Defence, where it was used as a facility to prepare young men for compulsory national service. After it was returned to the People's Association in 1991, however, the school was renamed to Outward Bound Singapore, hence playing an active role in helping young people in their development. The number of participants has grown since 1991 and it is currently the largest Outward Bound centre worldwide. Secondary school students are strongly encouraged to attend a week's programme at  Outward Bound Singapore's Pulau Ubin centre. The programme can be conducted indoor or outdoor, depending on the weather conditions. Over the years, OBS has evolved to play a more active role in community building through its OBS Alumni & the Leadership & Service Award. OBS has also partnered with overseas Outward Bound centres such as Oman & South Africa to provide more global programmes for youths. Recently announced at the Singapore Youth Conference 2014, OBS was restructured to be part of the new strengthened National Youth Council (NYC) Autonomous Agency. As one of the National Youth Developer, OBS will co-drive the  national youth volunteer programme, Youth Corps Singapore with NYC. Outward Bound Philosophy. The Outward Bound philosophy is summarised by co-founder, Kurt Hahn, as "The aim of education is to impel people into value-forming experiences, to ensure the survival of these qualities: an enterprising curiosity, an indefatigable spirit, tenacity in pursuit, readiness for sensible self, and above all, compassion." The development-by-challenge' approach combats the Six Declines of Modern Youth to produce positive psychological and social outcomes. Outward Bound programmes are designed to empower people with self-awareness, responsibility, perseverance, interpersonal skills, confidence, compassion and the ability to  create positive impact for the community. Programmes follow the Outward Bound process model: Key Programmes. Youth Corps Singapore As one of the National Youth Developer, OBS will co-drive the new national youth volunteer programme, Youth Corps Singapore with NYC. Shortlisted applicants will attend a 5-day residential leadership programme at OBS for training and team bonding. The Youth Corps programme will match youth volunteers with critical community needs, and help them make sustained and meaningful contributions to society. MOE-OBS Challenge Programme Under the National Outdoor Adventure Education Masterplan, the MOE-OBS Challenge Programme seeks to develop ruggedness, resilience , and build cohesion amongst Secondary 3 students. The programme comprises a series of school-based Physical Education and Character and Citizenship Education lessons facilitated by teachers as well as a 5-day expeditionary course at Outward Bound Singapore (OBS). 21-Day Leadership & Service Award (LSA) Started in 2011, this award was created for youths aged 17 – 35 with a passion for community service. Selected individuals are awarded the LSA with a scholarship to attend the 21-day course in Pulau Ubin. Awardees participate in a multi-element leadership and service challenge programme designed to broaden their horizons while being out  of their comfort zones, build resilience, and inspire them to undertake bigger endeavours to the community. Besides adventure learning, organising and planning of community service projects are also key components of the LSA programme. LSA graduates become part of the OBS Alumni upon completion of the programme. Global Adventures Global programmes are conducted with sister Outward Bound centres in various regions and combine both adventure and cultural learning. The 11-day Global Adventure Oman spans the Omani desert, trekking across the Jabel Akhder Mountain in the day and camping under the Arabian stars at night. Another global programme is the  18-day Global Adventure South Africa which includes exploring the sandstone foothills of the spectacular Drakensberg. These programmes are open to youths above 17. OBS Alumni. Since its establishment in 2012 with the aim of giving graduates of OBS programme a platform to serve the community, the OBS Alumni has partnered several community stakeholders for various causes ranging from helping under-privileged families to environment conservation. Facilities. Pulau Ubin Camp 1 & 2 When Outward Bound first started in 1967, its facilities were spartan. Currently, OBS has two campuses at Pulau Ubin. Using up approximately 9 hectares of land, some of  the climbing facilities are the "Peak Ascent Tower", inverse and tripod towers, Vertical Challenge Activities, The Indiana, rock climbing walls, and non-height activities such as the Tunnelling and Caving system. Other facilities include teaching rooms and a 25-metre swimming pool for kayaking. The Pulau Ubin campus is located at two locations, with Camp 1 being larger than Camp 2. Depending on the course, Residential or Mobile, the campers either stay in the dormitories provided on campus or in tents on the centre's ground respectively. OBS@Coney A new OBS campus will be located on Coney Island, as part  of the National Outdoor Education Masterplan. When the campus eventually opens in 2021, OBS@Coney will augment the existing facilities at Pulau Ubin, towards an annual capacity of 45,000 participants. The campus will feature new outdoor adventure education facilities, such as advanced challenge ropes courses, abseiling, rock-climbing and artificial caving systems. OBS Instructors. To qualify as an OBS Instructor, candidates are required to be first selected through the Instructor Selection Programme, spanning over three days two nights on Pulau Ubin. Candidates are being put in a challenging situation, pushing their physical and mental limits. Once they are selected, candidates will  go through an interview panel before embarking on their journey as trainee instructors. They will then go through six to eight months of training involving various components before they can call themselves OBS Instructors.