About Expedition Class

Expedition Class

Founded by Andrew Hughes in 2007, Expedition Class was created to inspire and motivate students in science and environmental education through a unique model of adventure learning. By collaborating with schools and external organisations, and conducting small footprint journeys, the goal is to provide free online learning resources, school visits, and professional learning for teachers in Australia and further afield. In the early days that translated into an annual expedition to some part of Australia or Papua New Guinea by sea kayak, foot or bicycle. The expeditions, ranging from 1-8 months, were beamed live into classrooms through satellite linked field updates and a printable workbook guided students through curriculum topics. Experts in a variety of scientific and other fields of endeavour volunteered to staff a forum where students could communicate directly with all sorts of interesting questions… or chat about football scores. After joining with the Bookend Trust, new doors opened and the programs expanded. Expedition Class, through the Bookend Trust, now includes an extensive archive of programs that continues to be open and available to teachers and students worldwide, to motivate and inspire an ever growing group of students from K-10 from around Australia and the world. Currently active projects are Where? Where? Wedgie!, Claws on the Line and the Extinction Matters BioBlitzes. Andrew is pursuing new educational projects through Adventure Learning Australia, but regularly works with the Bookend Trust team to continue elements of these programs.

Bookend Trust

The Bookend Trust is a not-for-profit organisation that seeks to inspire students and their communities with the positive environmental careers they can build making the world a better place. Bookend is part of the Pennicott Foundation, with offices in the research departments of the University of Tasmania. Bookend is funded through the donation of time, energy and resources by private individuals who wish to pass the inspiration and opportunity of their own careers to the next generation. The program has involved high-profile support from patron including best-selling authors Bryce Courtenay and Neil Gaiman, and Australian economics commentator Saul Eslake. One of our major objectives is to provide pathways for students of all ages to pursue further education and careers in scientific and related fields. We have established an enviable reputation for ground-breaking online and on-ground adventure learning projects since 2006. As a result of our work, Andrew Hughes was named 2013 Tasmanian Australian of the Year; we have been awarded both a Banksia Environmental Foundation Award and a World Environment Day Award from the United Nations Association of Australia for creating lasting and positive educational impact; and the Bookend team was named the Australian Geographic Society’s 2012 Conservationist of the Year.