The Hands on Learning (HoL) program was developed by Russell Kerr in 1999 as a response to many years witnessing struggling students, or those with different learning styles, written off prematurely and not given the opportunity to realise their potential. Armed with the philosophy that a school has a responsibility to provide a stimulating environment that encourages all students to grow, Russell started thinking about how this could be made a reality.

The seed was planted when he took a group of students from Frankston High School into the Warburton forest with a friend, skilled artisan Frank Wimmer.  The students were taught how to find the right sticks, and how to build a chair from their sticks.  Watching young people who had been angry, adversarial and frustrated become naturally engaged with these real tasks was amazing. And a valuable lesson was learnt: kids engage with tasks that are authentic and readily achievable – tasks that build self-confidence and self-esteem.  Hands on Learning grew from this simple principle.

Support from the then principal of Frankston High School, Ken Rowe, saw the introduction of HoL which started with the building of a strawbale hut.  John Eldridge a multi-skilled artisan was engaged two days per week and remained working with Russell for the next five years.

Following the success of HoL at Frankston High School, the program was extended to a cluster of schools in the Frankston area with the support of Social Ventures Australia and an AMP Youth Boost Fund grant.

In 2008  Hands on Learning Australia (HOLA)  a not-for-profit Harm Prevention Charity was founded with a mission to help as many vulnerable young people as possible benefit from staying at school by expanding and sustaining the network of HoL schools.

Hands on Learning Australia and Save the Children joined forces on 1st April 2017, bringing together HoL’s long-term ambition to prevent early school leaving and Save the Children’s vision of a world in which every child attains the right to a quality basic education.  For more information please visit Save the Children.

Today the HoL team provides the quality assurance to support partner schools across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland and Tasmania.