AUSTRALIA | YHA Australia has launched its Travel to Learn Foundation with great fanfare and support from industry leaders.
YHA Australia has celebrated the launch of the organisation’s Travel to Learn Foundation in the company of various stakeholders and Foundation partners, alongside industry who gathered on YHA Sydney Harbour’s iconic rooftop.
Aligning with YHA’s always exploring ethos, the creation of the Foundation displays the organisation’s ever-growing commitment to create lasting impact for travellers, the environment, and now Australia’s young minds.
With many Australian families needing to cut back on discretionary spend as cost-of-living pressures continue to bite, research from The Smith Family reveals that four in 10 Australian parents believe that their children will miss out on vital educational opportunities outside of school. While one in three believe their children will miss out on school excursions due to financial stress.
By removing the financial barriers to curriculum-driven travel opportunities, the Travel to Learn Foundation supports Australian families to ensure young people do not miss out on developing crucial life experiences.
YHA Australia will draw on its 85-year history supported by long-standing industry partnerships to help young people through the Foundations three key goals: to remove barriers to travel, empower young people’s career pathways, and forge reciprocal benefit through social enterprise.
“At YHA Australia, we believe that travel has the power to transform lives. The ‘Travel to Learn’ Foundation was created to ensure young people are presented the opportunity to broaden their horizons through meaningful travel experiences,” said Paul McGrath, CEO of YHA Australia.
“By removing barriers that would prevent these young people from accessing meaningful travel experiences whether it be on excursions or extracurricular learning, we aim to inspire personal growth, foster education, and build confidence in those who need it most.”
McGrath added that, in the coming years, the Foundation will focus on offering scholarships and programs that enable young people to learn new skills, connect with diverse communities, and develop a global perspective. This initiative is all about empowering the next generation to realise their potential.
YHA will create opportunities for young people to experience travel by engaging with schools and community groups and partnering with established experience providers.
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