Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School and THEARC Partner to Launch Outdoor Campus in Southeast D.C. for Experiential Learning for Underserved Students
WASHINGTON, July 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — D.C. students in Ward 8 and beyond will soon have a new outdoor learning campus – including the city’s first-ever outdoor classroom with experiential ropes & climbing elements — where they will gain confidence, build belonging, and develop critical social and emotional skills. The campus is being developed by the Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School (CBOBS) and Building Bridges Across the River, with a $2 million investment from the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, which is sunsetting at the end of 2025.
Opening in late fall as the District’s first community-focused outdoor education campus, the new site – at the Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC) in Southeast Washington, D.C. – will include custom-built high and low climbing elements designed to serve as an outdoor classroom, engaging students from across D.C. in experiential, adventure-based learning.
CBOBS has served over 100,000 students from across the greater region since 1986, and since 2020, over 6,000 D.C. students through 50+ D.C. community partners, spanning all eight Wards. Until now, D.C. students traveled to the organization’s founding basecamp in Baltimore. The new campus at THEARC removes barriers by bringing programming to where students live and learn, embedded within a vibrant hub of educational, health, and arts nonprofits. With this partnership and investment, CBOBS takes a step toward its goal of doubling its impact by 2030 and reaching 10,000 young people annually across Baltimore and D.C.
“This exciting next step is more than a new location. It’s critical to our long-term goal of setting thousands of D.C. students on the path to success so that they can dream big and achieve their goals,” said Kristen Komlosy, Executive Director of CBOBS. “When students step into a supportive yet challenging environment, they build the confidence, connection, and mindsets to thrive.”
Rooted in Outward Bound’s unique educational approach, the new campus is designed to help youth to re-connect with themselves, others, and the natural world. Through evidence-based methods, students build upon skills in four key social domains- courage, belonging, physical engagement, and reflection. CBOBS instructors help them develop these skills and connections and bring them to tackling challenges and opportunities at home, school, and in their community.
CBOBS will reach students through partnerships with schools and community-based organizations, which will be charged a fraction of the programs’ costs. Schools with students who receive free and reduced meals (FARM) are charged a minimal fee based on their FARM rate, while students pay nothing – making the investment from the Clark Foundation pivotal, and setting the stage for future fundraising efforts.
The $2 million investment from the Clark Foundation is the single largest in CBOBS’s nearly 40-year history. The Foundation’s support is helping CBOBS meet rising demand and build access for thousands of young people annually to take part in transformative, outdoor-based learning.
“The Clark Foundation has long admired CBOBS’ commitment to D.C. youth, even without a dedicated campus in the city,” said Joe Del Guercio, President and CEO of the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation. “The new campus will bring proven programs into the heart of the community, expanding access and deepening impact in our nation’s capital.”
Rahsaan Bernard, President and CEO of THEARC, said, “At THEARC, our mission has always been to ensure that young people and families east of the Anacostia River have access to the best-in-class facilities, resources, experiences, and opportunities they deserve. Partnering with Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School brings a powerful new dimension to that work — using the outdoors as a catalyst for growth and connection. This new campus will give D.C. youth the chance to step outside their comfort zones, build resilience, and discover their own potential — right here in their own backyard.”
CBOBS will kick off this partnership with on-site programming for schools and youth-serving nonprofits, along with a series of community events throughout the coming year. We invite community members, educators, funders, and champions of youth development to be part of this next chapter—whether by partnering with us, attending an upcoming event, or supporting our mission. To learn more about Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School’s D.C. expansion and partnership with THEARC, visit outwardboundchesapeake.org/dc-campus.
Media Contact:
Jen Cusick
Director of Marketing & Outreach
Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School
jcusick@outwardboundchesapeake.org
410-442-6023
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dc-students-to-get-new-outdoor-adventure-based-campus-with-2m-from-sunsetting-clark-foundation-to-outward-bound-school-302503325.html
SOURCE Chesapeake Bay Outward Bound School