I chose to work for OEG because I had heard of the range of programs and venues that OEG offers to its clients and I was interested in working for an organisation which was able to offer their staff a variety of programs and the opportunity to spend time working in lots of amazing places across Victoria and across Australia. I was also interested in working for OEG because I had heard that OEG had a strong paddling community and as a keen white water kayaker I was interested in working for an organisation where there were likely to be others with a similar passion, and where opportunities to paddle might be present. Not only that, but I was interested in working for an organisation where I could be trained and grow professionally, in the area of aquatics, so that I would be able to share my passion for being on rivers with the young people with whom I would be working with.

There are many reasons why I continue to want to work for OEG but two of those reasons are: The training and professional development opportunities that OEG offers its staff. The opportunities are immense and varied I really appreciate having so many opportunities for professional development, and staff who are willing to support and encourage that professional growth. The other reason is the OEG community itself, as I really enjoy coming off a program knowing that I’m coming home to a great community of outdoor educators who have similar goals, interests and passions.
 

PETE GRIFFITHS 
 
 

Director of Schools, Victoria 
Staff member since 1997

I believe that the role of adults is to prepare a better world for our children and to help them be better people.  That means being a good role model and being focused on good solutions rather than poor complaints.

I also passionately believe in balance between work and family.  OEG helps me to achieve this.  The challenge is to live by that belief.  In other words I say my family comes first although at times they might disagree.

OEG gives us an opportunity to behave with integrity with young people.  In other words we treat people equally and fairly.  Kids are kids and all have the same basic needs whether they come from so called privileged backgrounds or not.  They need some means to balance the insidious influence of reality TV, consumerism, cynicism etc.  The simple life, living in the outdoors with your friends, can help us identify what really matters; and it is not Paris Hilton.  Don’t get me started.

I work at OEG to enable our staff to be the best they can be, to grow in an environment that values difference, change and growth.  I choose to work in an organisation that is positive and focuses on the opportunities rather than the roadblocks.  I am a leader of people because I want to see young people have the experiences I had growing up.  I want our staff to feel and realise that they do make a positive difference and that they do this in a way that fosters a spirit of connection with their teams.  I want to ensure that we operate our business in a way that is never complacent and always values the welfare of our students and staff.  I want our people to feel that they have earned the right to work at OEG and with our young people.

I work at OEG to take students to places they may never otherwise see by a mode they may never use. To show them what is in their own back yards and that it is theirs to enjoy if they want it.

I work to push students’ comfort levels so they amaze themselves and their peers of their limits in which they might not have even yet started to explore. I work to show students the differences in everyone. That there is so much more to their mate than what they see, that they can trust each other when it really counts. To show that the classroom is not the only place to learn, and especially that struggling or failing in the classroom does not mean that you are struggling or failing in life. That they do not need their hand held for every step that they take. Most are at an age when they need to be learning to take gentle steps on their own, and reap the rewards for doing so.

For me the internal pleasure of leading a team, making an important decision on behalf of a group, and showing that life does not always need to be taken seriously is my reward. I aim to show students that making wrong decisions can be looked at positively as a learning decision.

The outdoors is an amazing place, that can be one of comfort and fun with endless places to explore, but only if you want it to be.

I look at society as a melting pot of good and bad people. By changing the minds of people that wear blinders by their eyes like horses and making them not follow the ‘ass’ in front of them will help the melting pot not look like one colour – instead a brilliant pot of different colours.

I play in outdoor education because to me it isn’t work. To me it’s like my duty as a citizen of this world to help challenge the minds of people around me to grasp other ideals and ideas that society has made us want to go with and or believe.

When I am out in the field or working with fellow colleagues, I can close my tent door or my bedroom door knowing that I have made a difference in the melting pot by making someone smile or even making them look inside of themselves and discovering the importance of why they are on this planet.

Since the age of 12 I have been both fascinated by and tuned into the excitement of an individual as they have learned something new about themselves or the environment that immediately surrounds them. I have long believed that the skills learned in everyday life are and called on more than the ‘historical fact of who was shot to ‘start’ WWI'. That is to say all that is important to know cannot possibly be taught to an individual. We learn and grow through play, exploration, being scared, feeling at risk, loving, asking questions, trusting (at all levels), being exposed to new environments, reading, learning new skills……the list goes on.

No one recipe covers all. In a world where trusting strangers is considered dangerous it is important to me to try and expose young people to the thought that they and others have an opportunity to look for the best in someone.

I have long enjoyed working with staff to encourage finding a spark of exploration in the young people they work with.

I was given the opportunity at a young age to experience a fundamental change in my perception through experiential learning. Therefore it is my mission to facilitate the paradigm shift that gives an individual the knowledge and confidence to realise that life is about the connection between bare feet and earth and that maintaining a constant disconnection from the earth is unsustainable.

With a small level of comfort an individual can grow to encompass more than they ever felt possible. Working with OEG provides me the opportunity to initiate these beliefs in a myriad of individuals and organisations.

The amount I learn on a daily basis at OEG blows me away.

I moved Interstate and came to OEG because I saw an organisation which seemed committed to its staff from a cultural and professional development perspective. I believe an organisation which fosters strong professional relationships will be a solid workplace. I see OEG as an organisation which believes in its most valuable asset and provides real opportunities for a long-term career.

The culture of OEG values lifestyle and family, community, a commitment to education in the outdoors, and a greater recognition of the importance of maintaining and strengthening a relationship with our indigenous brothers and sisters.

I see an organisation which talks best practice and walks that talk. Senior Management has been very supportive and has high expectations and a strong commitment to my professional development and longevity. I work with a group of people who share similar values with regards to the environment, community and culture. OEG is self-reflective as an organisation and is able to stay innovative and adaptable because of it.

My parents amongst others introduced me to a profound connection with wild places that contributes to my wellbeing and in turn the well being of others who share in that connection with wild places. Establishing, nurturing and growing this connection ultimately has the potential to contribute to the wellbeing of the planet both physically and metaphysically.

OEG affords me a medium to contribute and connect.

My story centres around the value I place on “experience”. I believe that life is an experience. I believe that I am the sum of my experiences. I know that these experiences influence the way I think and the way I behave. Experience helps me build a platform from which I base opinions, create perspectives and shape decisions. My ability to respond to challenge, in any aspect of my life, is closely matched to my skills, knowledge and attitude. All influenced by experience.

I believe that experiences in life should be varied, confronting, challenging and reflected upon. I see that outdoor education and OEG provides almost boundless opportunities for such experiences. The quality of these experiences and the way we process them dictates their value.

I believe that the programs we design and implement for school groups in the bush are rich in experience. Experiences that are diverse, difficult, enjoyable and meaningful. Like me, these experiences help to shape who the young people are (whether they like it or not!) and their ability to face future challenges in their lives.

For me – it’s all about experience.

I started working for OEG on a casual basis back in 1996 in Eildon where my career as a Group Leader began! I then left to go travelling and nearly 10 years later (August 2005), ended up working for OEG again, this time in NSW. I love working at OEG for a number of reasons. Firstly, because I get to work with people who are inspiring, creative, and honest and who have diverse interests. Secondly, because I get to be a part of making a difference, no matter how small, in people’s lives. How wonderful is it to be able to give people opportunities that they didn’t think existed or to help set them onto a path they may have thought was never possible. I truly believe that a person who is given the opportunity to see the world in a new way sees themselves in a new way also. I also love the job I have and the place where I live (Biloela).