Mission | coyleoutside

Adventure, Discovery, Inspiration First!

We don't put safety first at Coyle Outside. That is said with trepidation as it seems our culture, especially around kids, increasingly values safety above all else sometimes. That leaves things like good judgement, relationship, trust, connection to come AFTER. What we see is that the world kids grow up in is increasingly sanitized of adversity and opportunities to experience failure/victory and to experience themselves as potential difference makers. We also believe there is a distinction between discovery and 'learning' and that discovery changes a person forever. We believe that wisdom (as well as a beautiful, rich life) comes through failures, taking risks and from entering and passing through what is scary and uncomfortable.

Discovery Transforms
Making a Difference connects us
Adversity is a prerequisite for Wisdom and Common Sense

Consider the saying "We can't have our cake and eat it too". If one wants inspiration we believe they pay for it in safety or comfort or familiarity. We want our students to discover the power of distinguishing for themselves the costs and benefits of choosing to follow prescribed rules and policies versus developing and using their innate humanity.

Our Mission Statement:

We believe that children are and always will be the most 'marginalized' and vulnerable group of people and that society at large is obliged to prioritize the integrity of childhood and children. We believe childhood as an authentic experience has become a 'threatened species'. Our mission at Coyle Outside is

For The Preservation and Restoration of Outdoor Childhood

We pursue this mission primarily through:

Opportunities for risk and adversity
Free, minimally supervised Play
Engagement with ancestral and outdoor skills
Interdependent experiences

We want to work with FAMILIES who want to take chances and stretch themselves. We hire STAFF who want to make a difference in the world and trust that the value of their work regardless of whether they get to witness the impact or get credit. We look for staff who believe in sacrifice and character and who see serving our mission as a cause that is bigger than themselves. We treat STUDENTS like the powerful future that they are and the amazing gift of childhood. We aspire to move the dial on their compass one degree so that in 10, 20, 30 years they end up in a much different and bigger place. We want them to leave with confidence, character and stories to tell and remember. And, we partner with the Natural World every day to make everything we do possible.