Photos were taken by Szilárd Márton exclusively during the previous editions of our Pathfinder programs.
TESTIMONY
“It was amazing how I could connect and reconnect with others and nature around me.”
“I learned to be less hard on myself but more honest, accepting and trying to understand the good and the bad.”
“Pathfinder affected me quite a lot. I wouldn’t say I had a bad view on things but my attitude towards myself has become not only more positive but also more realistic.”
“I think I’m starting to be more direct in the decisions, without too much procrastination. Also, I’m trying to understand more the needs of those I have in front. Understanding more what having responsibilities means and what comports”
“I learned with all of you, in many different ways. For me, I felt it was a very intensive and important experience. I learned so much, but I believe even more that I have so much that I don’t know, and I’m motivated to have a growth mindset more present.”
Next period:
14-23 July*, 2024
*including travel days
Description
Pathfinder is an 8-day long intensive & immersive outdoor personal development training course for young adults, with focus on leadership.
We call the program intensive because we believe in real challenges and real experiences. All the elements of the training course will demand a high level of involvement and dedication from the participants.
It is immersive because the participants’ experience is real, the physical-psychological challenges are there to stimulate growth and it is happening with the consent & high involvement of the participants.
Almost all of the processes & experiences are facilitated outdoors in the OBR Youth Center, the surrounding Carpathian mountains and the Bezid Lake, depending on the season. We find it important & valuable to facilitate a leadership program with deep impact in a natural environment, for the reason that we know how nurturing, inspiring and enabling can be to be exposed to nature, all while we connect to our authentic selves. We organize the program throughout the year during winter (PATHFINDER WHITE) and the other seasons (PATHFINDER GREEN).
Our aim through the program is to unlock the natural skills and abilities of a person and to bring them to the conscious level, in order to allow the person to use them in leadership positions, as employees or in other dimensions of life. It is a personal development course that contains a small amount of theory and a huge amount of hands-on practice in order to generate experiences and empower people to step into their lives as someone who has the force to take charge.
The program was co-created with the Rewire state management programs.
THE PROGRAM IS DESIGNED FOR:
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Young leaders, managers
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HR personnel, who want to experience their social skills in an active and out-of-comfort environment
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People who want to gain confidence in leading teams
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People who find themselves in leadership positions
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People who feel that they want to take back the steering of their life
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People who want to gain experience in leadership in various formats
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People who want to experience & understand what kind of leader are they
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People who are working on discovering the next step in their life
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People who want to change their personal & professional life in a mindful manner
Pathfinder has the potential to create a long-lasting nurturing impact on the participants. Through its design, besides some practical skills, participants will gain insight into their behavioural profile, learn how to manage their state and how they function as a leader but also as team players.
We all work on our resilience, yet this built-up system often is very demanding, and while we are under stress it crumbles to pieces. In this program, pathfinders learn to create their own resilience system, adapted to their specific needs and conditions.
We lead, we follow, and although this happens often and naturally, we rarely realize what our patterns are, what is sustainable for us and what needs adjustment. During the program, participants can face their patterns.
It is important to check in with ourselves from time to time, in order to identify change and adapt ourselves to the current circumstances and to our network. In the program, the pathfinders will have the chance to do this, on various levels.
We are part of nature and nature is part of us. We have to experience the challenges that nature offers to us as a present, in order to realize where we are in life, to celebrate our successes and to know in which direction we want to take our next step as a leader, a team member, and as an adult. In the frame of this training, the participants will have the chance to go through this experience as well.
HERE ARE SOME OF THE PERKS IN A PATHFINDER PROGRAM
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You will discover your limiting behavioural patterns and your enabling ones
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You will have the chance to be exposed to situations where you can lead, follow, observe, delegate, facilitate mediate between people & groups – skills crucial for anyone in a leadership position
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You will have the chance to dive deeper and have a clearer understanding of who you are as a leader, who you are as a person
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You have the chance to change some behavioural patterns that are limiting you at the moment in your life
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You will meet with likeminded people who are keen on real and honest human connection & you can let yourself be inspired by them
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You will have the chance to practice in a safe & supportive environment 21st-century human skills that will enable you to become a more mindful person
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You will have a meaningful experience of a lifetime by diving deep into your own development in a beautiful and raw natural environment
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You will have the chance to implement behaviours which will make your life more sustainable
THE PATHFINDER PROGRAMS WERE CREATED TO PROVIDE A SAFE & SUSTAINABLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE:
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We have multiple layers of support systems that enable you to thrive even in challenging environments
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The atmosphere is inviting, acknowledging & honest
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Program elements are present in order to experience how to be a conscious participant
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Program elements generate experience in how to lead while you follow
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Program elements are present in order to experience how to self-manage sustainably
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Program frame provided so you can experience the culture of OBR
Our open call programs are:
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multicultural
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using simple English
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outdoor-oriented
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experiential learning oriented
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focused on using the group for development
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focused on developing
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leadership skills
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mindfulness skills
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state management skill
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OUTCOMES: DURING THE PATHFINDER PROGRAMS YOU WILL HAVE THE CHANCE:
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to understand yourself better as a person and as a leader
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to learn new ways to approach challenges in your life
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to extend your knowledge by having hands-on outdoor experience in land expeditions & water expedition
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to learn new team activities
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to learn new state management & leadership tools
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to lead & facilitate workshops & processes
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to lead & facilitate expeditions on land & water
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to learn to deal with challenges in a sustainable manner
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to learn to stay grounded & to perform with excellence even when out of your comfort zone
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to handle unexpected situations as a team member & as a leader
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to build a sustainable resilience system for yourself & your environment
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to experience the OB mentality at OBR
CONDITIONS TO PARTICIPATE
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Must be able to participate during the entire period of the training
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You must be a minimum of 20 years old, and a maximum of 30 years old in order to participate in the program (if you feel that you want to take part, yet you are younger or older, please contact us – we will discuss it together whether this program is for you)
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Readiness for physical and mental challenges, including a multiday expedition, on land and on water
Place: Outward Bound International Youth Center, Sovata, Gurghiului Mountains, Bezid Lake – Romania
Language: Basic English
INDIVIDUAL INVESTMENT:
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if you are from Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, France, Lichtenstein, Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, the UK, USA & Canada: the investment for the Pathfinder is 820 €. If you can not afford at the moment the full price of the training course, you have the chance to pay it in 2 instalments – feel free to contact us for further details
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if you are from Central and East European countries or outside of Europe please contact us for more information about scholarship opportunities!
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If you are a teacher or a member of an organization, your institution can support your participation by using Erasmus+ funds. In this case, the cost of the program is 1100 €.
THE COST COVERS:
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the program costs
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generic outdoor equipment
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training handout & materials
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accommodation
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all meals
Type of certification of attendance awarded:
Outward Bound certificate of attendance for „PATHFINDER GREEN – Leadership Development Through Personal Development”
PROGRAM OVERVIEW OF THE TRAINING