Instituted in the 1930's by a German teacher of outdoor activities named Kurt Hahn, he brought the idea to the British Isles starting a school at the famous Gordonstoun School in Scotland. Moving to a new venue & training base in Wales he gained the support of Sir Lawrence Holt a shipping baron & created a program to teach young British sailors the vital survival skills they would need, especially with the onset of world war 2. 

Rewarding not only charcter development alongside academic achievement he set up challenging outdoor situations that sailors could face once a ship had left port for the open sea's....the term OUTWARD BOUND was a naval term & fitted Hahn's educational program which is why it was named The Outward Bound Sea School. 

After a few years Outward Bound had been adapted in several foreign countries, 30 countries on 6 continents to be precise & the school still survives today more than 80 years later & nowadays includes corporate team building, inner city youth & several other welfare type situations where groups of people such as recovering alcoholics or even families can benefit from such outdoor skill teaching & confidence building.