MSI/Outward Bound Sunapee High School Scholarship Program

MSI's Blog Article on 2009 Student Experiences

Mountain Spirit Institute has successfully coordinated the Sunapee High School Outward Bound Scholarship program for four years. This program epitomizes our commitment to give back to the local community in a way that aligns with our mission.

We are grateful for the support of local donors who have partnered with MSI to facilitate the participation of young adults on these life-changing, character forming Outward Bound courses. These experiential courses impel participants to new levels of self-confidence, self-reliance, compassion and teamwork in a wilderness setting.

The Board of Directors at our summer retreat 2010 has decided redirect our scholarship program back to Mountain Spirit Institute. We hope our sponsors and Sunapee High School students have enjoyed their Outward Bound experiences. We will continue to offer scholarships to Sunapee High School for Mountain Spirit Institue Programs, more locally focused such as rock climbing, Kearsarge Wilderness Experience and the Healing Adventure for Teens.
Image: Hanna Baade - Maine Coast Outward Bound Sea Kayaking

MSI's 2009 OB Program Goals:

•  Enable two Sunapee High School students to attend 2009 summer programs.
• Increase awareness of the program and it's accessibility to Sunapee students.
• Raise an additional $3,000 which will be dedicated to student tuition and flight costs.

Image: R Richards - North Cascades Mountaineering Program



2009 commitment from Outward Bound
to contribute provide matching scholarships.


We are fortunate to have Sunapee High School enlisted as one of a handful of “partnership schools” with Outward Bound USA from the Northeast. This means that, for qualified students accepted for MSI support, (with gross family incomes under a certain amount, and high motivation to attend) Outward Bound will assist those students in need of additional scholarships directly from OB.
Image: Brian Bailey- High Country Yoga, CO

Contributions from local Sunapee area businesses and organizations are dedicated 100% to student scholarships from MSI. As a 501-c-3 educational organization, all contributions are fully dedicated to this scholarship program and are tax deductible, charitable contributions.

MSI's role is to invite and acknowledge donors, accept applications, interview and select the student, and provide administrative support with Outward Bound. If you are unfamiliar with Outward Bound, please visit their website atwww.outwardbound.org

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Program Details:

Mission:
The mission of the MSI/OB Sunapee High School Scholarship program is to provide qualified and motivated high school students the opportunity to participate in a challenging, positive life-changing, value-forming and transformative experience.
Image: R Richards - High Country Rappel - North Cascades, Washington State

Program Outcomes:
Participants will have a greater appreciation for themselves, their fellow human beings and the environment. They will have the opportunity to grow in aspects of self-reliance, compassion, craftsmanship and service.

Background:
This program is the result of the founder's experience seeing positive transformative experiences in young people while teaching Outward Bound wilderness programs. The Sunapee program was started in 2005 with its first two participants going to Maine wilderness programs. Students may select from any of the US programs offered through Outward Bound USA, whose office is based in Golden Colorado.

Benefits of Outward Bound programs

•  Develop self-awareness and self reliance
•  Develop leadership and citizenship
•  Appreciation and awareness of the natural world
•  Develop, their skills and abilities
•  Team building and improved interpersonal communication
•  Character building
•  Endurance, foresight, decision making, negotiation skills
•  Problem solving

Total Cost of OB Programs

•  Tuition Ranges from: $3,000-5,000
•  Students pay $200 + for application fees and a portion of their travel costs to ensure they have an investment in the program.
• Air fare and ground transportation to the various US program locations.
• Personal equipment and outdoor clothing

About Outward Bound:
Outward Bound was founded in the late 1940's by Kurt Hahn a visionary educator, who saw a vital need to help young people form values through experience rather than classroom lectures. He saw a moral and physical decline in youth during WWII and had the vision to set up a different kind of school. From the Kurt Hahn website:

"There is more in you than you think" is an inscription found on the wall of a family home in Belgium before World War II. It became the motto for the school Kurt Hahn founded in Britain, Gordonstoun, and the leitmotiv of his philosophy: that each of us has more courage, more strength and more compassion than we would ever have fathomed.” Kurt Hahn's calling in life was to help people young people realize this truth about themselves.
Image: Hanna Baade - Hanna's group of OB students in Maine


Thank you to Sunapee Area Donors:

  • Business Benefactor: $1000.00
  • Business Partner: 700.00
  • Business Sponsors: $500.00
    - New London Rotary International (Since 2009)
    - Sugar River Savings Bank     (Since 2007)
  • Business Contributor: $250.00
  • There are other potential donors for 2009, and will be listed here once we have pledges.

Scholarship Recipients:

  • Hanna Baade: Summer 2005 Maine Wilderness Sea Kayaking: 14 days
  • Benjamin Bailey: Summer 2005, Maine Sailing and Seamanship/Rock Climbing: 14 days
  • Brian Bailey: Summer 2006: Colorado Mountaineering and Backpacking: 14 days
  • Lucy Reidy: Summer 2007: North Carolina Backpacking: 14 days
  • Linnea Circosta, 2009 Colorado Desert River Rafting,
  • Sean Reidy, 2009

Image: R Richards - Lucy Reidy with Sugar River Bank's Sunapee Branch Manager

Selection Process:

  1. Presentation given to interested Sunapee High School Students in the fall/winter.
  2. Target: Sophomores and Juniors; currently open two students per year
  3. Student completes a short essay as to why he/she is interested in the program and how they think they will benefit from it.
  4. Fill out scholarship application Family gross income: less than 50,000/yr (Supply tax return).
  5. Student should be relatively fit, informed of the challenge, and motivated to participate.
  6. Student agrees to help further the program by talking to prospective students the following season


Links:
Background and philosophy of Outward Bound' s founder: www.kurthahn.org
Program and Information on Outward Bound: www.outwardbound.org

Help Support the Outward Bound Program at Sunapee High School:

  • Individuals, organizations and businesses are encouraged to participate by donating funds to MSI's Sunapee HS Outward Bound Scholarship Fund by sending a your contribuition to
    MSI -    P.O. Box 626
    Sunapee, NH - 03782
  • Donations of any amount will help these students attend Outward Bound
  • Available by email: Fundraising Cover Letter, Program Fact Sheet, The Selection Process
  • Take a look at our Coroporate Sponsor Info if your organization would like to donate. We will mention you on this website and press releases. Document requires free Acrobat Reader:

Image: Brian Bailey - Summit Ridge Walk, High mountains of Colorado on Backpacking/Rock Climbing combination course.

Press Clips
Article in 2005
Article in 2007

Documents requires free Acrobat Reader:

Contacts:
 Randy Richards: 603-763-2668, Mountain Spirit Institute Director,
Jeanne Circosta: 603-763-5615 coordinates the program at Sunapee High School
Brenda Dowst: 603-863-9428 MSI Board member and Co-coordinator

Mountain Spirit Institute
P.O. Box 626
Sunapee, NH 03782



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Images: Thanks go to Hanna Baade, Brian Bailey, R. Richards