Youth Programs

Thompson Island Outward Bound Education Center (TIOBEC) has been serving the youth of greater Boston for more than 20 years. We are stewards of Thompson Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area and our 204-acre campus is the Island Classroom of the Boston Harbor Islands. Our program offerings include:

Thompson Island Outward Bound Summer Expeditions

Summer Expeditions offer three adventure-based courses encouraging leadership skills, teamwork, and compassion for ages 12 to 17. Outdoor activities include sailing, kayaking, climbing, and exploration of the Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area and Massachusetts Bay coastline for 10 to 14 days. Students live outdoors camping and cooking, learn navigation and sailing/kayaking skills, challenge themselves climbing the 62’ Alpine Tower on Thompson Island, investigate marine ecology, learn environmental stewardship, work with National Park Rangers and participate in a service project.

Connecting with Courage® for Girls
Connecting with Courage is a course designed specifically to empower 12 and 13-year old girls to develop a healthy sense of self. Courses include sea kayaking, sailing, environmental exploration, and climbing in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area.

Passages® for Boys
Passages is a course for 12 and 13-year old boys that encourages teamwork and compassion. Courses include sea kayaking, sailing, environmental exploration, and climbing in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park Area.

Environmental Expeditions
Environmental Expeditions is a sailing course with marine ecology focus, coed, ages 14-17. Sail in a 30' pulling boat through Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay to Gloucester, MA and Cape Ann.

Check out our PHOTO GALLERY for courses from previous seasons

Connections

Connections is designed to ignite a love of learning for Boston’s public middle school students by using outdoor learning in teams to enhance academic achievement and character development. In-school activities culminate in field experiences which use Thompson Island’s varied habitats as the classroom. Beginning in 2012, we expanded our Connections program to include field experiences ranging from one-day field trips to three-day overnights during the school year and five-week daily sessions in the summer. More than 12,000 students have participated in the program since it was lauched in 2009.

Take a virtual visit to the island and watch the Connections program in action:

Youth Jobs Programs

Through a partnership with the National Park Service, Thompson Island Outward Bound offers job opportunities for youth age 15-18 from the greater Boston area. These jobs, which are based in the Boston Harbor Island National Park Area, are designed to develop life skills, workforce readiness, and environmental stewardship. Youth will experience hot, buggy conditions clearing trails, monitoring invasive species, and constructing public use features on the beautiful Harbor Islands, all while building teamwork, having a blast, and learning job skills. In addition to having the unique chance to contribute a youth perspective to park governance, youth will also be exposed to career paths with Outward Bound, National Park Service, and other “green collar” careers. We currently have two summer job offerings to which youth can apply: Green Corps and Island Ambassadors.

School and Community Youth Groups

School and Community Youth Groups offer one and multi-day Outward Bound teambuilding and leadership programs and our environmental education program in partnership with the National Park
Service.

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