The giving Back Awards: 15 People Who Make America Great

Since then he's faced steep obstacles. Founded in 1941 to help British sailors survive Nazi submarine attacks, Outward Bound has expanded well beyond that past; today its U.S. arm operates 144 schools, trains corporate executives and works with at-risk youth. But its wilderness expeditions--carefully planned sequences of physical challenges, team building and reflection--remain its core, and since 1991 enrollment has been cut in half, to about 5,000 last year. The reasons? More competition, poor marketing and the popularity of what Read, 59, calls "flute camp/soccer camp/go-to-Europe."

To spark a turnaround, last year Read merged seven of the 10 regional Outward Bound chapters into one stronger, centralized organization. He has hired a Yale researcher to measure exactly how Outward Bound turns young adults into more confident leaders and students. And he's improved marketing, creating a growing database of alumni to boost referrals. So far this year, enrollment is up 13 percent. And Read is betting that climb is just getting started.

—Daniel McGinn

12 - Civil Servant

Nancy Cox
Centers for Disease Control

She's been a flu researcher her whole life. The stakes are about to get higher.