Mt.Vernon teen Katie Anderson was one of 29 girls
selected from across the nation to participate in a Girl Scouts Destinations
program where she volunteered in conservation efforts to protect endangered sea
turtles and explored new depths while learning to scuba dive on the Caribbean
coast of Panama.
“This was an
incredible experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Katie explains
about her Outward Bound experience.
Katie, an
eighteen-year-old Southeast Missouri State University student from the Girl
Scouts of Southern Illinois Council, recently
returned from Outward Bound Costa Rica’s Scuba & Sea Turtle Adventure
Destination. This 14-day course included a multi-day service project at San San
Pond Sak, wetlands located on the Caribbean coast of Panama where the girls
dedicated their time to protecting the endangered leatherback sea turtle
population.
Katie and her
group spent the second half of their time in Panama based on the remote island
of Solarte, located in the Bocas del Toro Province. There the girls learned
about the local ecology and marine life while they learned how to scuba dive.
After completing and passing the NAUI Open Water Certification training, Katie
and her course mates are now scuba certified.
After returning
to Outward Bound’s rainforest base in Costa Rica, the girls finished up their
adventure by ziplining through the canopies and visiting the vibrant artisan
market of San Jose.
Since 2006,
Outward Bound Costa Rica has been partnered with Girls Scout of the USA to
offer unique and exciting Girl Scouts Destinations trips in Costa Rica and
Panama. These trips provide young girls the opportunity to see the world, meet
fellow Girl Scouts from across the nation, and challenge themselves through
adventure in unfamiliar settings.
Outward Bound
Costa Rica’s Executive Director Jim Rowe notes that, “Outward Bound Costa Rica
programs, like the one Katie participated in, create environments that allow
for personal and leadership development through challenges, group effort and
cross-cultural understanding.” Rowe continues that, “in these adventures,
students are constantly exposed to new experiences, languages and physical
environments, which are difficult to replicate in the classroom.''
Thank you to Outward Bound for providing story and photos.
About Outward Bound Costa Rica
Founded in 1997, Outward Bound Costa Rica inspires leadership, compassion, and responsibility through adventure-based wilderness experiences. Activities include backpacking, rafting, kayaking, surfing, rappelling and scuba diving as well as cultural experiences such as home stays with local families. Programs host both local and foreign participants and range from professional development courses to adventure experiences.
