The Bold Earth Philosophy

In addition to an adventurous and travel-filled summer, we aim for Bold Earth students to experience growth in more ways than they do at school, home, or organized sports. We believe the following outcomes are a natural result of our program, and best learned through adventure, challenge, immersion in a tech-free community, and interaction with exceptional role models. Our philosophy permeates every aspect of our program.

1. Communication

Few ideas are the product of a single mind, and being able to effectively communicate in a constantly changing world is a much-appreciated skill. Teammates need to be able to share and articulate ideas, build trust, and understand each other.

2. Collaboration and social achievement

Because working in teams is essential to success, the ability to work well with others is vital—even when your team is not of your choosing. Creating and maintaining fun, substantive social connections is a hallmark of success.

3. Creativity

The ability to generate multiple ideas and think out of the box is engendered by a supportive and free-thinking community.

4. Critical thinking

The world’s problems don’t have simple answers. These challenges require the ability to critically analyze a situation and formulate potential solutions that are not often obvious.

5. Leadership

We solve problems in groups. These groups need leaders with heart that bring out the best in its members. Bold Earth provides numerous opportunities to both lead and follow.

6. Self-management

Lasting success requires the ability to postpone short-term gratification or personal needs in pursuit of more important long-term goals.

7. Resilience

Everyone encounters challenges and failures. Those who rebound from failure and see problems as opportunities will succeed when others give up.

8. Optimism

An optimist is someone who believes that problems are temporary and that he or she has the ability through effort and persuasion to effect change.

These skills are critical to thrive in the rapidly changing and increasingly competitive world in which we are raising our children. Recent data suggests that new communication methods (texting, social media messaging) are causing teens to lose focus, impeding the development of the very skills needed to succeed in a world filled with technology. We combat that by unplugging the internet and creating a community that flourishes with face-to-face communication.