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“People see outdoor education as lying within the tourism industry or the adventure industry,” says Dr. Robert Wallis. “But we’ve always been focused on that education piece. The technical activities—that kayaking or canoeing or mountain climbing—are just the vehicle that we use to build resilience and social-emotional intelligence.” Wallis is the curriculum and education manager for Outward Bound Canada, a role, he admits, some might find surprising, particularly because of those perceptions. I was speaking with him about the courses that Outward Bound will be running in the year ahead, though in a sense he could have been speaking about any of the programs that our members run. They look like one thing—coding classes, a session at an overnight camp, a trip on a tall ship—but they’re really about something else. Character, growth, emotional intelligence, community. I’ve been developing the content for the 2022 annual guide–at 100 pages, it will be by far our biggest issue ever—and have been really bringing forward that idea. That all of the things that we do are bigger than some people might think. And that the year ahead will be more important than we’re aware. Last year at this time so much was still uncertain, still up in the air. Now, families are looking forward to getting back to it all, and being able to make the most of the programs that will be available to them. We’ve been working with all of that in mind. The bigger guide, the enhancements to the online tools. Our traffic will grow as we move through the winter, and we’ll be ready for it. Here’s to 2022. Calling all campers from 1995! As noted earlier in this space, we’re looking to celebrate campers who were at camp 25 years ago (staff are welcome, too). We’ll feature photos and stories in a photo essay in the print guide, as well as online, promoted through our social feeds. For questions, or to submit, you can fill out the 5-minute questionnaire or email me directly at [email protected] In other news ... Since the launch of our redesigned category pages that optimize the searchability of your individual programs. It’s critical that you keep your programs and sessions up to date. Your promotion on our site depends largely on the accuracy of your programs & session information. What’s a program? A program is a distinct bundle of activities you offer kids of a defined age and gender (e.g., Architecture Camp, Ages 8–12). You can add multiple programs to the platform—so long as they are actually distinct. What’s a session? A session is always associated with a program: it’s a specific date, time, and location that you offer a program (e.g., July 18–23, Vancouver), along with a cost. You can associate multiple sessions with a program. What can you do right now to set yourself up for success in 2022?
When adding or modifying your programs & sessions
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