OUR IMPACT
A TEACHER’S PERSPECTIVE
KAWEKA Outward Bound’s Hawke’s Bay schools course. Hastings Girls’ High School deputy principal Phil Carmine has been at the school for 19 years, but it was only four years ago that the first of his students travelled to Anakiwa for the Kaweka course.
►
Hastings Girls’ High Deputy Principal Phil Carmine with students from the Kaweka course.
“We got lucky,” says Phil. “Outward Bound approached us and offered us the opportunity to be involved. Affordability for our students was a major barrier, but thanks to the course being funded by generous donors, this wonderful opportunity comes at very little, or no cost to our school.” Phil says selecting who goes is difficult, with many students vying for the chance. He has a “rigorous” selection policy, including a pre-requisite that prospective students demonstrate contributions they are making to their communities. “I am interested in them showing me what they’ve done already, not what they might do in the future. It shows integrity and commitment,” he says. The impact Phil sees when the students return is significant. “They have literally transformed. They are super-confident with heightened self-belief. In the three weeks they’ve been away, they’ve grown up.” “Every one of our students becomes a passionate advocate of Outward Bound. We’ve never had a student reluctant to endorse the benefits of the course.” Not only is Phil seeing positive transformations at school, parents are reporting to him that their children have also changed at home, for the better. “For most of our students this is a chance of a lifetime. We will definitely keep sending our young women to Kaweka as long as we are able.”
| 2019REPORT OUTWARD OUTWARD BOUND |BOUND 2019 ANNUAL ANNUAL REPORT 17
17