The inaugural Philadelphia Outward Bound School (POBS) jamboree fundraiser at the Discovery Center on Oct. 1 drew 143 guests and raised more than $190,000 for Philadelphia students.

The dress code was flannel and hiking boots, and the centerpiece was a campfire beside the Strawberry Mansion Reservoir.

The sold-out evening raised funds for the nonprofit’s youth programs, which offer outdoor-focused education and experiences designed to build self-confidence and leadership skills.

“This was our first time throwing a fundraiser at our Discovery Center home base that leaned more toward the Outward Bound vibe and less toward a typical gala, and it really emphasized the fun in fundraiser,” said Lori Salganicoff, POBS director of development and former executive director of the Chestnut Hill Conservancy. “Knowing that POBS was founded 34 years ago by area leaders, I was proud to see Chestnut Hill continuing to show up for Philadelphia’s kids.”

The event was chaired by two Chestnut Hill couples, Gail and Bruce Redpath and Liz and Henry Harris.

“We wanted a night that felt like Outward Bound itself: outdoors, a little unexpected, and built around the kids,” Gail Redpath said. “Seeing this many neighbors show up in flannel to support Philadelphia students was everything we hoped for.”

Guests enjoyed campfire fare, live music, s’mores and a silent auction under the Outward Bound challenge course, transformed with hundreds of lights. Before the main event, 75 guests joined a Trailblazer reception, where they could go canoeing or take in the view from the course’s elevated decks.

“Every dollar raised gives young people something they need now more than ever — the chance to step outside their comfort zones, discover what they’re capable of, and learn they can do hard things together,” said Justin Ennis, executive director of Philadelphia Outward Bound School.

A Northwest Philadelphia story

The Jamboree’s Chestnut Hill leadership continues a connection that dates to the school’s founding. POBS took shape in 1992 over coffee at Valley Green Inn, where founders Nancy Goldenberg, of Mt. Airy, Tim Greenwood, of Wyndmoor, and then-future Mayor Michael Nutter planned a Philadelphia program that would bring Outward Bound’s outdoor education model to city students. The school’s first ropes course was built a short walk away in the Wissahickon, and remained its only site until 2018, when POBS opened the Discovery Center with Audubon Mid-Atlantic. Today both locations are busy with students throughout the school year and summer.

Northwest Philadelphians have guided the organization since. Past board chairs Jonathan Conant and Greenwood all live in the area, and Gail Redpath and Betsy Longstreth, of Chestnut Hill, serve on the current board of trustees. The McCausland Foundation was among the evening’s sponsors.

Springside Chestnut Hill Academy (SCH) is one of POBS’ longest-standing school partners, and its longtime head of the upper school, Matt Norcini, is now in his third year as POBS board chair. For the past 11 years, SCH has sent its entire ninth-grade class on a five-day Outward Bound expedition during the first week of school. An SCH team of students and staff also rappelled 30 stories down Two Commerce Square in 2025 for Building Adventure, POBS’ other signature fundraiser.

“When a few of us first met at the Valley Green Inn more than 30 years ago, we wanted to give Philadelphia kids the chance to get into the woods and find themselves, and to learn character, leadership and service along the way,” Greenwood said. “Chestnut Hill has always played a big role in that, and seeing friends and neighbors at the Discovery Center brings it full circle.”

Today, POBS serves more than 7,500 students each year, and more than 90,000 since its founding. Over 80% of its students come from low-income Philadelphia families.

The Building Adventure rappelling event is scheduled to return on Oct. 15, 2027. For more information, visit pobs.org.