Some typical goals of outdoor education are to:

• learn how to overcome adversity
• enhance personal and social development
• develop a deeper relationship with nature.

Outdoor education spans the three domains of self, others, and the natural world. The relative emphasis of these three domains varies from one program to another. An outdoor education program can, for example, emphasize one (or more) of these aims to:

• teach outdoor survival skills
• improve problem solving skills
• reduce recidivism
• enhance teamwork
• develop leadership skills
• understand natural environments
• promote spirituality

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outdoor_education#Aims