1,300 youths take part in Outward Bound Oman's adventure activities 

(MENAFN - Muscat Daily) At least 1,300 youths have taken part in Outward Bound Oman's adventure activities during the 2012-13 season, according to its general manager Mark Evans.The organisation believes in unlocking human potential through challenging outdoor journeys, giving individuals the skills to face the future with confidence, and creating effective teams and leaders.At a press conference on Saturday, Outward Bound Oman released its Social Investment Impact Report, 2012' as well as awarded all Oman instructors who underwent an intensive five-day training course based on the UK Mountain Leader Award syllabus, adapted for the Omani environment.Speaking on the occasion, the guest of honour, Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidi, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said Outward Bound is continuing to have a positive impact on the youth of Oman. ''These are life changing experiences, no doubt, and the lessons learnt during the expeditions are as important as lessons learnt in the classroom.''It's not enough for young people to be taught facts, they need to think properly, be able to analyse situations, and make decisions. Outward Bound expeditions give the youth respect and compassion for both nature and fellow human beings.''Mary Thomson, chairperson of Outward Bound International, said, ''We are thrilled to celebrate Outward Bound in action in this wonderful country. We are currently present in 33 countries around the world, and we believe Oman is ideally suited to further expanding the reach of the organisation.''Evans said, ''We went from taking 280 young Omanis on trips during the 2009 season to a total of 1,300 youths during the 2012-13 season. We've also welcomed schools from Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Switzerland.''According to our social investment impact report, 96 per cent of the participants are more aware of the key skills needed to get a job, 97 per cent more likely to help others in their community, and 96 per cent now believe they can achieve more at school, college or at work.''