Outward Bound Canada: Uniting the Outdoor Sector
Client: Outward Bound Canada
Our Approach: In collaboration with Bloom Consulting, Colab hosted three events across Canada—in Vancouver, Halifax, and Toronto—bringing together representatives from 68 organizations. These gatherings followed a social innovation lab approach, providing participants with the space to explore challenges and develop innovative solutions.
Purpose: The purpose of the events was to unite key stakeholders from the outdoor education sector to address two critical goals:
Examine how climate change is impacting the health, operations, and economic viability of the sector.
Identify pathways for organizations and individuals to build resilience in the face of these challenges.
Engagement Process: Each event began with relationship-building and an exploration of the current state of the outdoor education sector, specifically focusing on the effects of climate change. In the afternoons, participants engaged in Open Space sessions, self-organizing into small groups to discuss and act on ideas related to strengthening resilience in the sector. The events concluded with a commitment session, where participants identified specific actions they would take to contribute to a more resilient, disaster-prepared future.
These events emphasized the importance of unified action and ongoing dialogue to build long-term climate resilience, risk management strategies, and disaster preparedness within the outdoor education sector.