Outward bound florida keys

By Addie Hurwitz, From her personal blog, November 10,

PART 1: Hollywood &#; FINS Office

We also picked up a lot of trash in the parking lot as well as trimmed back some bushes. We did all of this service with the South FL FINS Family Coordinator, Christina Roach. It was really great, especially for those of us that have never worked a FINS course, to work alongside of her and ask lots of questions.

​

&#;While a priority of the Service Bus is to volunteer in the communities we serve, a byproduct of the experience is connecting staff. Helping out the Hollywood office felt like it had reverberating effects. As we picked up trash in the parking lot, we knew that both staff and students would benefit from our actions. As we spoke with Christina Roach, we all learned more about the FINS Program. Through both service and conversation, the NCOBS community feels a little closer than it did before our visit.&#; -Caroline

A highlight of our trip to Hollywood was the &#;run and dip&#;. A run and dip is an Outward Bound tradition where you go for a run and at the end of the run, jump into a body of water. The run and dip from the Hollywood office is pretty sweet because the run is miles down Hollywood Blvd and the dip at the end is in the ocean off of Hollywood Beach. It was a great way to start our day before cleaning the instructor apartment, finishing the parking sign, then heading out to the Keys.

PART 2: Big Pine Key: Hurricane Island Outward Bound School Base Camp

The Hurricane Island Outward Bound School is located in Maine, but they too have a base in the Florida Keys where they run sailing courses throughout the winter. This was a really cool stop for our Service Bus because it allowed us to learn about an entirely different school. On our first day in Big Pine Key, we did base camp service. The base camp is really just a house, but as this is its opening week for the season, there was plenty to be done. We did yard work- trimming back bushes, then we set up some spring bar tents that instructors and students sometimes sleep in.

This day was also a course start day for a five-day veterans course leaving. Before those students arrived, we got a tour of the pulling boat which was super neat.

Our third and final day in the keys was spent doing service at the Dolphin Research Center (DRC). We were super excited to welcome a new member to our crew for the day, Cat, who worked as a logistics coordinator at the NCOBS Table Rock Base Camp this past season. The DRC utilized our crew to paint a second coat on a railing at their new welcome center.

&#;After transitioning back home to South Florida, it felt great to reconnect with my NCOBS family and serve as part of the Keys community that does good. That kind of felt like coming home too.&#; -Cat

We also got the chance to look around the DRC in order to see the animals there as well as listen to presentation about them. We were grateful for this opportunity because the DRC charges admission, so for just a few hours of fun service we were able to spend the afternoon there for no charge!

Florida Keys, Florida

Book this tour through our partner: Outward Bound

Outward Bound is a non-profit educational organization that serves people of all ages and backgrounds through active learning experiences and expedition

For ages 18+ and 30+, this course gives you the chance to experience the Florida Keys’ turquoise waters and warm temperatures in the best way possible. The easterly winds provide exceptional and memorable opportunities to re-energize and challenge yourself in new ways, discover new strengths and forge new friendships. You'll revitalize your outdoor enthusiasm as Instructors introduce you to beginning, intermediate and advanced skills in chart and compass navigation, small boat seamanship, weather observation and anchoring. You’ll have time to sit on the shore to reflect, an important component of this experience. The habits you'll learn and strengthen through this sailing expedition will serve you long after you return home.

It is with a heavy heart that we inform you that the Families in Need of Service program will not be renewing its annual contract with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and therefore, are not able to provide prevention programming through Wilderness River Expeditions to the Florida community moving forward as of April 15, There were several contributing factors to this decision and we are saddened that this transition was necessary. We have greatly enjoyed serving and working with the Florida community since

North Carolina Outward Bound School does continue to offer Intercept programming for struggling teens. If you would like more information about that program, please call If you are in need of more intensive prevention services, please check out some of these other Florida Department of Juvenile Justice Youth Prevention Programs that might be able to help. > Florida DJJ Offerings

The FINS Program, in partnership with the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, offers FREE year-round wilderness programs for adolescents struggling with destructive behaviors.

Since , we have emphasized character development, academic achievement and social responsibility to reduce the risk of dropping out of school, substance abuse and future delinquency in the state of Florida.

Who Are These Programs For?

The FINS program is funded by the State of Florida and is currently for families living in the following counties: 

In Central Florida: Brevard, Duval, Flagler, Lake, Polk, Osceola, Orange, Palm Beach, Seminole, St. Johns, and Volusia Counties.

In South Florida: Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Palm Beach

These specialized courses are designed to help troubled teens ages to transition their lives in more meaningful and positive directions. It is designed to help with:

• Poor school performance including truancy, suspensions, expulsion, failing two or more classes within a semester, being held back and/or failed a grade level
• Anger management issues
• Defiance
• Low motivation
• Significant family problems
• Risky behaviors such as experimenting with drugs or alcohol, promiscuity or sneaking out
• Exhibiting pre-delinquent behavior

Community Partners

FINS-community students are referred by parents, schools, social services agencies and community organizations such as teen court, drug court, civil citation, and local crisis runaway shelters.

Program Elements

FINS-community programs are broken into two components: Wilderness Expedition and Follow-Up Component. Together, through the use of the evidence-based model, youth and family focus on:

• Individualized & family goal planning
• Behavior intervention & management (includes pro-social and life skills focus)
• Non-therapeutic individual, group, peer and family counseling
• School interventions
• Family mediations

Youth participate in an intense day wilderness expedition focused on and promoting success-oriented skill-building and mastery in a wilderness setting. This is followed by an intensive day transition to focus on home and school issues.  Families will be served for an additional 8 weeks with the possibility of continuing for up to six months based on need. Youth and/or families participate in the following program components:

• Individualized and Family Goal Planning: students and parents/guardians participate in a formal needs assessment to determine individualized goals and objectives surrounding social/life skills, education, family reunification, mental health, and substance abuse.
• Behavior Intervention & Management: Students are taught skills that focus on improved decision-making, problem-solving, anger management, conflict resolution for home and school life.
• Service Projects: Students may participate in a community-based service project. As students develop skills to help themselves, they are also involved in learning to care for others.
• Parent Education: parents are required to participate in activities during wilderness and transition components. Tools are provided to assist parents in strengthening their relationship with their child.
• Family Mediation: parent(s)/guardian and student create a mediated contract. This serves as a framework for transition and assists in the success of both parties upon the student's return to their everyday life.
• Transition/Reinforcement: Outward Bound staff meet and work with families in their homes to continue with mediated contract and goal planning. Outward Bound staff also meet with school personnel to provide solutions to ensure academic success. Students receive limited academic credit while participating in wilderness expedition.
• Additional Resources for Extended Services: upon completion of a FINS program, students and families are provided with information on outside agencies, support groups, and resources to support students and families. 

What is Required of Parents?

Parental support and interaction play a crucial role in the success of the program.

Parents are required to:

• Obtain necessary paperwork to enroll their child in our program.
• Provide transportation to and from the program site.
• Attend two meetings, one on course start day and one on wilderness end day.
• Write 3 letters to their child while on course.
• Participate in a mediation session.
• Participate in home visits during the follow-up phase.
• For more information, please read our frequently asked questions.

During the winter and spring, the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School runs programs out of our Florida Keys base for adults, veterans, college students, and groups. Home to numerous birds and abundant marine life, the region owes its productivity to the confluence of water flowing out of the Everglades into inner Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. The backcountry of Florida Bay offers challenging shoal draft navigation and the opportunity to explore mangrove keys, tidal flats and coral patch reefs. These warm, shallow waters provide an exciting cruising area for Outward Bound’s sailing boats and some of the best training ground for developing advanced sailing skills. The Atlantic side offers excellent open water sailing and snorkeling at the outer reefs. The course area extends to the Everglades, with beautiful sand beaches and a maze of rivers and bays to explore.