Andrew Hughes
Nic and I have started Adventure Learning Australia to pursue our shared goal of embedding adventure in education. Like most teachers we are committed to the idea that education is the key to unlocking the positive potential in all students. We are also convinced that outdoor education and experiential learning are powerful ways to build real understanding about the world around us, and also to develop the person within us.
I studied geology at the University of Tasmania and worked briefly in an underground gold mine in Western Australia before starting a bushwalking business called Mad Wombat Guides. Ill fated as the name suggests, it only lasted two Tasmanian summers. After completing a postgraduate primary school teaching degree, I taught for one year at public school before letting adventure learning take over my life. For the past 12 years — through Expedition Class and more recently with the Bookend Trust — I have been part of a team that has developed primary and high school programs that have reached more than 30,000 students in every corner of Australia. I continue to work closely with the Bookend Trust to develop new projects and we are currently collaborating on the Swag Family project.