Singapore students will have greater access to outdoor learning as the new Outward Bound Singapore (OBS) Coney Island campus officially opens.
The 12-hectare campus features more than 100 adventure elements, including facilities designed to support wheelchair users. It will also help expand the Ministry of Education-Outward Bound Singapore Challenge programme (MOC) to all Secondary 3 students by 2030.
For parents and educators, the development highlights the growing role of outdoor experiences in helping young people build resilience, teamwork and confidence beyond the classroom.
OBS has been using the campus for small-scale MOC pilots since June 2026. It plans to increase capacity progressively while maintaining programme quality and safety.
What The New OBS Campus Offers Students
The new campus includes more than 70 high adventure elements and over 30 low adventure elements.
These are spread across open-air and sheltered settings. As a result, students can take part in activities in different weather conditions.
The activities are also designed to support larger groups. Some challenges can accommodate up to four students working together, encouraging communication and shared problem-solving.
The MOC programme currently gives Secondary 3 students a five-day residential outdoor learning experience. Activities include team-building, skills development, expeditions and reflection.
Students can take part in trekking, kayaking, rowing, sailing and rafting as part of the wider experience.
Outdoor Learning Goes Beyond Adventure
The value of the OBS experience is not limited to completing an obstacle course.
Students are encouraged to work through unfamiliar situations with their peers. They also reflect on what they learn during activities.
According to OBS, reflection and journalling form an important part of the learning process. Students consider their own experiences while learning from their classmates.
This approach connects outdoor activities with wider skills such as decision-making, resilience, empathy and teamwork.
For schools, it also provides a setting where students can apply these skills in situations that are difficult to recreate in a traditional classroom.
PM Wong highlighted this broader purpose during the campus opening.
“Today we are more secure and successful. But the world around us is more complex, more volatile, more unpredictable, more dangerous.”
He also explained that OBS is intended to help young people understand what they can achieve when they move beyond their comfort zones and work with others.
A More Inclusive OBS Experience
Accessibility is another important feature of the new OBS campus.
Some of its adventure elements are wheelchair accessible. OBS worked with persons with disabilities to shape and validate its universal design features, while also consulting specialists on safety processes.
This could allow more students to participate in outdoor adventure education alongside their peers.
The wider design also reflects environmental considerations. The campus includes rainwater collection systems, natural ventilation and other features intended to reduce resource use. Collected rainwater can be used for irrigation and washing equipment.
For students, this creates an opportunity to see environmental responsibility in practice rather than only learning about it in the classroom.
What The Expansion Means For Secondary 3 Students
The MOC programme has already reached more than 120,000 Secondary 3 students since 2017, according to the information provided by OBS.
In 2025, about 18,000 Secondary 3 students from 90 schools took part. The new campus is intended to increase capacity so that all Secondary 3 students can participate by 2030.
The expansion is part of Singapore’s wider approach to outdoor adventure education. The Ministry of Education describes outdoor education as an opportunity to develop students holistically, including resilience, collaboration, decision-making and sustainable outdoor living skills.
For families, this means outdoor learning is being positioned as part of students’ wider education, rather than simply an extra-curricular activity.
Wellbeing Will Also Be Part Of Future Programmes
The plans for OBS do not stop with physical challenges.
PM Wong said future programmes would include more opportunities for older students to return to OBS. He also highlighted plans to introduce elements focused on wellbeing. He said,
“What matters most is what our young people experience here and what they take away with them, from this experience. So we will continue to improve the OBS programmes, including new elements on well-being, giving students practical ways to manage stress, recover from setbacks and support one another.”
This focus could give students practical opportunities to think about how they respond to pressure and setbacks.
Ultimately, the new Coney Island campus places outdoor experiences alongside academic learning, giving more young people opportunities to work with others, face unfamiliar challenges and reflect on what they learn from them.
For educators and parents, it is another example of how learning can take place beyond the traditional classroom.
