Josephine Baran - Director of Outward Bound’s Training Academy for Outdoor Professionals

Josephine Baran is currently the Director of Outward Bound’s Training Academy for Outdoor Professionals which is seeking to create access and training opportunities for groups that have been traditionally under-represented in the outdoor industry. She fell in love with Canada’s natural spaces when she moved here as a teenager and firmly believes we are the best version of ourselves when we are outdoors. She led the National Community team for Mountain Equipment Co-op which had the largest series of races in Canada and is happiest when she is running the trails with her dogs, paddling at her cabin in Northern Ontario or snowboarding in the Rockies.

About the Training Academy

The Training Academy has two levels of fully funded programming, that we are able to offer at no cost to our participants; the Foundations and Essentials level. Foundations offers 6 days of workshops with a strong focus on growing outdoor technical skills and building comfort in the outdoors. There is a 5 day outdoor journey option also. It truly is about creating access for groups and communities that have been traditionally under-represented. The Essentials program offers 10 days of workshops that focuses on a broad range of topics like mental health first aid, trauma informed outdoor leadership and more. It also provides four days of technical training at a basecamp workshop and a ten day outdoor journey. This level readies participants to enter the outdoor industry with the skills to work with the diverse and evolving needs of our population.

Diversity in the outdoors resources

Kasiama, Jusdith. “On diversity and healing in nature.” The Great Trail. January 30, 2020. 

Kelly, Ash. “The Adventure Gap: Why minorities are less likely to pursue outdoor recreation.” CBC. June 20, 2018.

Brean, Joseph. “Canada's 'adventure gap': Why it doesn't make sense for the great outdoors to be such a white space.” National Post. May 28, 2018.

Lockhart, Jessica Wynne. “How to help new Canadians access the great outdoors.” Cottage Life. September 22, 2017.

Moye, Jayme. “Jaylyn Gough Asks: Whose Land Are You Exploring?” Outside Online. May 31, 2018.

Kloos, Kassondra. “We Need More Women of Color Working in the Outdoors.” Outside Magazine. April 3, 2018.

Tariq, Ambreen. “I Would But: I Am The Only Person of Color.” REI Co-Op Journal. February 22, 2018.

Baker, Teresa. “Changing Faces of the Outdoors.” Alpinist. October 03, 2017.

Kefauver, Olivia. "Diversifying the Outdoors: Brown People Camping." Outdoor Women's Alliance. 2017. 

Haile, Rahawa. “Going It Alone.” Outside Magazine. April 11, 2017. 

Tariq, Ambreen. "My Immigrant Story: Loneliness and Empowerment at the American Campground." Outside Online. April 07, 2017. 

Scharper, Julie. "Nature Fix." National Parks Conservation Association. 2017. 

Berger, Erin. "To Diversify the Outdoors, We Have to Think About Who We're Excluding."Outside Online. November 20, 2016. 

Kloos, Kassondra. “We Need More Women of Color Working in the Outdoors.” Outside Magazine. April 3, 2018.

Rassler, Brad. “The Adventure Gap and Narratives of Inclusion: James Edward Mills talks about why the face of outdoor adventure must change.” Alpinist. December 21, 2016.

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