Diane taught Adapted Physical Education and Special Education Life Skills in Austin ISD and began to organize frequent extracurricular programs for her students, which developed into a group called “The Adventurers”. Diane retired from the district in 2012 to pursue what had become a lifelong dream: to open a program that encouraged the development of greater independence of adults with special needs, after they transitioned from the public education system. http://www.austinadventurers.org/
She and her husband, John, a middle school science teacher, founded the Adventurers Academy of Lifelong Learning. The Academy is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a mission to help adults with intellectual disabilities in the Austin area connect with the community, develop lifelong independence and achieve their full potential.
They currently have 32 adventurers. They are supported by donations, fundraising, Medicare waivers plus what the adventurers pay (their families pay),. They are located just east of Menchaca one block north of 1626.
We watched a video of a KUVE news report on the Adventure Academy of Lifelong Learning that was broadcast recently.
Four Big ideas: Independence; Community Adventure, Next Steps
They do hiking, kayaking, horseback riding and visit zoos and take trips and nutrition and fitness, cleaning and hard work. They learn what it feels like to be supported and loved. Adventures take you just beyond your comfort zone. Next Steps take you just a little further than you have gone. If you hiked one mile, then the next step is two miles or maybe five miles.
Adventurers are adults with intellectual disabilities. Average age is 21-22 after they age out of other education and no longer qualify for schooling. They run their program like a school year. Monday thru Thurs there are morning and afternoon periods. Fridays are Community Day in the morning. They volunteer cleaning up yards for community members, kickball at the Manchaca Sports baseball fields. Friday afternoon is almost always bowling. There’s also Woodworking, Enterprise Crafts, Job Internships, Sports, Hiking, Fishing, Paddling and Traveling opportunities.
They also do fundraising. Aug 12th they will have an ice cream social at the X Baptist Church at 2:30. They participate in Amplify Austin in March and in April they have Springfest in Bucks Backyard in Buda.
In October they have a Bowlathon with prizes and Craft Markets in the fall at Adventurers activities.
Adventures are extended trips to places far away, St. Louis, San Francisco and some places closer to home like East Texas Outdoor Education in Tyler TX, 2025 Colonia Service Adventure in South Texas, the Rio Grande Valley Food Bank and Morgan’s Wonderland. And so much more!