Rustic Pathways knows that student success depends on much more than fact recall and content knowledge. To that end, we design experiences that actively develop character traits and habits of mind such as self-awareness, empathy, persistence, and the ability to communicate and collaborate with diverse groups. We believe that purposefully-designed travel experiences develop students who better understand complex issues and are better prepared to take on modern global challenges. We strive to provide immersive travel experiences that shape students’ perspective of the world, foster a sense of shared humanity, and ensure that students go into the world making globally minded decisions.
At the core of our program design is the notion that what students experience while traveling will profoundly shape who they are and how they view the world. Believing that travel provides a unique opportunity for student learning, we intentionally design our programs to promote student growth.
Experiences created for school groups are designed to align with:
The Mission and Values of Your School
We design innovative programs that help schools achieve their mission and live their values.
Your Vision and Purpose for Travelling with Students
We admire the passion and vision of teachers. Allow us to partner with you and help create your legacy.
Your School’s Curriculum
Our programs can integrate with your school curriculum and become part of the school culture.
Coursework or a Specific Content Area
Once teachers have chosen a program, we provide resources to support educators in deepening their students’ engagement with our programs before, during, and after travelling with us. We customise the activities and discussions of a program and staff it with the most capable Program Leaders to achieve teachers’ goals.
Projects and Essays
We can both suggest projects that complement our program experiences as well as work with educators to integrate an existing project into the program experience.
Themes or Methods of Inquiry
Our staff are trained to facilitate thoughtful inquiry around the fundamental questions and themes at the heart of our programs. By doing this work outside of students’ home cultures and communities, we have seen students develop a greater personal ownership of their thinking, a recognition of the factors that have combined to shape their experience and worldview, and an appreciation of the abundance of perspectives in our world.
Your School’s Service Philosophy
Our country teams work hand-in-hand with our partner communities to set up service projects based on community needs and students’ skill sets. Understanding your school’s philosophy, we can connect your group to a program that best supports your goals and our long-term service initiatives. Many of our students obtain service hours through our programs, and we ensure our programs meet your school’s requirements. Community service often becomes a catalyst for students to reflect on larger issues and understand the responsibility they have as members of global and local communities.
Purposeful Alignment with International Baccalaureate (IB) Curriculum
With a shared vision for developing enthusiastic, compassionate, and empowered lifelong learners, Rustic Pathways experiences are fundamentally aligned to IB education. We believe deeply in IB’s framework of learning that encourages students to become creative, critical, and reactive thinkers.
We also believe in the power of students making connections between their classroom experiences and the global community. Rustic Pathways experiences facilitate those connections for students and extend their learning far beyond the context of their own school, community, or country.
Australian Curriculum Links
Global education is central to what it means to be an educated person in the 21st century. The Australian Curriculum recognises the importance of developing Australians into active and informed citizens who have the ability to relate to and communicate across cultures, especially the cultures and countries of Asia. Many schools have discovered one of the most powerful catalysts for effective international education is learning while living in another country.
Rustic Pathways works alongside educators and supports schools by providing innovative solutions to achieve enduring understandings. Our travel programs support students in developing general capabilities that are defined in the Australian Curriculum as being essential for equipping young Australians to live and work successfully in the twenty-first century.
- Intercultural Understanding
- Ethical Understanding
- Personal and Social Capability
- Critical and Creative Thinking
Within the Australian Curriculum, Humanities and Social Sciences focuses on Civics & Citizenship, with students from Years 7-10 exploring citizenship, diversity and identity. Travel helps students understand how ideas of Australian identity are influenced by global connectedness. Rustic Pathways programs create greater awareness of political, legal, national and international issues, and allow students to consider their roles and responsibilities as global citizens.