Impact
Closing the Opportunity Gap for Boston’s Youth with EDUCATIONAL Programs and Social Emotional Development
All young people deserve the opportunity to reach their full potential. Research shows that by age 12, students growing up in underserved communities have had 6,000 fewer hours to learn outside the classroom than peers from well-resourced communities. Our flagship program, Connections, plays a crucial role in closing this gap.
Impact
What students learn on Thompson Island helps harness experiences in the natural world to enhance children's ability to question, observe, think creatively and use their imagination. Thompson Island Outward Bound’s outdoor education programs build confidence and resilience, develop students' skills to work effectively with others and improve academic achievement.
The following outcomes have been documented by external evaluators:
Academic: Improved school performance in ELA, Math, and Science
Social Emotional Development: Increased self-awareness and self-confidence, as well as increased understanding and compassion towards others
Leadership: Demonstrated ability to set goals, inspire and guide others to achieve them; increased ability to collaborate, communicate, solve problems and resolve conflicts effectively
Service: Demonstrated social and environmental responsibility and a desire to actively engage in service to others
Evidence of Success
Thompson Island Outward Bound uses evaluation as an ongoing process to discover what aspects of our youth programs are working and how to continuously improve them. We partner with researchers and educators at Harvard Medical School, Wellesley College, UC Berkeley Lawrence Hall of Science, Boston Public Schools, the National Park Service, and Boston After School and Beyond.
This edition of the Evidence of Success highlights our science work and its impact on Boston students.
