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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is Beyond Horizons Institute?

Beyond Horizons Institute is a rural and regional outdoor education provider supporting young people through the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. We specialise in Adventurous Journeys, and full-service Award support, including mentoring. We create and enable safe, challenging and meaningful experiences in nature.

We are designed specifically for rural and regional communities.

 We provide:

Structured mentoring and guidance

A supportive youth community

Practical help completing all sections of the Award

Safe, professionally facilitated Adventurous Journeys

Clear communication with parents every step of the way

Our goal is connection – to self, others, community and Country.

Safety is our highest priority. All programs:

Follow Australian Adventure Activity Standards (AAAS)

Include qualified, experienced outdoor leaders with current Wilderness First Aid (or equivalent) & Working With Children Checks

Operate with detailed risk management plans

Maintain appropriate supervision ratios

Include emergency communication systems an detailed emergency response and severe weather action plans

We provide detailed packing lists, preparation sessions and clear expectations so students feel confident and prepared.

Safe, professionally facilitated Adventurous Journeys

Clear communication with parents and participants every step of the way

That’s 100% completely okay and normal.

Our programs are designed to be developmentally appropriate and supportive. Our aim is to set your child up for success and inspire them to get outdoors. Or, at least equip them with the skills and knowledge to do so in their own way.

We focus on developing skills, building teamwork, trust and connection which leads to life-long skills and experiences. We prepare participants step-by-step, so they feel capable and empowered. The Adventurous Journey’s are designed to also challenge participants, but we think of it like Type 2 fun – at the time it’s hard, and you have to dig deep, but looking back upon reflection you’re super proud of yourself for completing or attempting something hard, and that adds to your life experience bank.

When you sign up with us, we will send out an information package with tips and tricks of hiking, what to bring and how to prepare.

With the All Inclusive Duke of Ed package, your child will be given a mentor to support, inspire and encourage them through this process. They will also be given access to the Beyond Horizons Outdoor Community, where events, blogs and information will be posted to aid and motivate your child on this journey.

No. We want to make the Duke of Ed accessible to as many young people as we can.

This means we have created an option for participants completing their FIRST ever Adventurous Journey with us, to borrow:

Hiking packs, tents, sleeping mats, sleeping bags and cooking equipment. 

We want to remove financial and equipment barriers wherever possible.

If your child then goes on to more Adventurous Journey’s with us, there are options to hire from us at discounted prices.

Or our team can also provide gear recommendations for any participant wanting to invest in their own gear.

Our All-inclusive Duke of Ed pathway works like this:

  1. Your child signs up with Beyond Horizons Institute, they pick a date and time to meet with us (online) to set up their account.
  2. We have a meeting with your child (and a parent or guardian) to aid them in setting up their online account with us. This will give them access to the Beyond Horizons community page, outdoor events, resources, blogs and other useful, inspiring information. This will also lead into setting up their Online Record Book (ORB) and official registration into the Duke of Edinburgh Award through the Duke of Edinburgh website.
  3. We will provide one of our experienced and knowledgable outdoor mentors, that will organise on-going check-ins and mentoring throughout the duration of the Award level.
  4. We will aid and provide options for the 4 sections that makes up the Duke of Ed Award: Volunteering, Skills, Physical Recreation and Adventurous Journey. 
  5. We will provide an in-person prep session at a location best suited to all participants for the Adventurous Journey aspect. For those that cannot physically make it, we will also record the session and make it available for all.
  6. We will provide hiking packs, tents, sleeping mats, sleeping bags and cooking gear to all FIRST time Adventurous Journeyers for free. 
  7. Our experienced and qualified team will demonstrate how to pack and fit a pack correctly.
  8. We will transport all participants to and from the hiking location. Everyone will meet the bus at a set time and location, where the participants will then begin their journey.
  9. We provide experienced and knowledgable guides for the Adventurous Journey and your child will be supervised and safe, whilst exploring, learning and challenging themselves in the outdoors.

We are very passionate about providing these opportunities for our youth, and we believe it will open doors to countless opportunities and possibilities, for everyone involved. 

 

We offer a standalone Adventurous Journey option for students who are already enrolled in Duke of Ed elsewhere but missed their school expedition.

Please see our Adventurous Journey Info or Book Now.

Outdoor education and the Duke of Ed framework has been proven to build:

Confidence

Emotional resilience

Leadership

Decision-making skills

Social connection

Problem-solving abilities

Time in nature has been shown to reduce stress and improve mental wellbeing. More importantly, shared challenge builds identity and belief in what young people are capable of.

This is setting up your child with skills for life, whether they enjoy the outdoors or dislike camping, they will GAIN so much from these experiences. It also connects them socially to community by the volunteering aspect, so communities have much to gain from this as well.

Often, yes.

We create supportive, structured environments where young people can stretch themselves safely.

We can work closely with families to understand needs and ensure the experience is positive and growth-oriented.

Parents/guardians receive:

Clear pre-program information

Packing guides

Contact details for our on-call manager

Post-program communication

We value transparency and open communication.

We want to bring outdoor experiences to rural and regional Australia. We want to create an outdoor community of inspired people who have the skills and knowledge to go out and explore safely and equipped.

We want to aid young people to disconnect from constant screens, pressures of society and social media.

We want to aid young people to reconnect with themselves and learn more about themselves in a safe, facilitated, fun and challenging learning environment.

We want to aid young people to build meaningful friendships and connections.

We want to aid young people to develop resilience and know they can do hard things if they put their mind to it.

We want young people to feel capable and confident in who they are.

We want to build and encourage young people to try something challenging and outside the box, to in turn, build stronger rural and regional communities.

Please contact with any enquries

Email Us: beyondhorizonsinstitute@gmail.com

Call Us: 0437881916