Growing up in Adelaide’s southern suburbs in a busy family of four kids, Jason McKenzie (BEd(MidSecSch), BA’19) has always been curious about the world around him.
“I enjoyed school, and I was always interested in learning,” he reflects. His love of learning translated into leadership roles during his senior school years, culminating in being College Captain at Cabra Dominican College.
But teaching wasn’t always on the cards for Jason. After school, he spent three years working in hospitality, which he describes as “rewally enjoyable.” The turning point came unexpectedly. “It was when I was attending my younger brother’s senior school graduation that I had an ‘ah-ha’ moment. I remember sitting there and wondering why I’d never considered teaching as a career option.”
Not long after, Jason enrolled in a double degree in Education and Arts at Flinders University.
“It was always going to be Flinders for me,” he says. “As a student I’d had great experiences coming to open days and with school visits to Flinders, and I was aware the Education teaching program there is as good as it gets.”
After graduating, Jason took his first teaching position at Christies Beach High School, where he has now taught for seven years. “During my degree I did a teaching placement at Christies Beach High and loved it, so I was very keen to return there to teach.”
In 2024, as a coordinator for teaching and learning at the school, Jason undertook some professional development with the Department for Education which introduced him to the concept of Learning Expeditions – an experiential learning model that was subsequently piloted with around 125 of his Year 7 students in 2025.
The project was ambitious: transform an underused section of the school grounds to reestablish a native garden. “We really threw the kids into the experience,” Jason says. “We planted about 250 native trees on site and encouraged the students to ask questions, make connections and guide the direction of their learning.”
One of Jason’s favourite aspects of the project was the way it positioned teachers and students as co-learners. “I think being a teacher means being a lifelong learner – and I think everyone should be lifelong learners. Learning side-by-side with kids is so powerful. I modelled a lot of learning because I was genuinely learning too. The kids saw me being vulnerable, asking questions and revising my work – and they responded really well to that. They could see that adults need to learn too.”
Jason says the cultural component of the expedition was a very important part of the experience. “We were fortunate that we have an Aboriginal Education Team at the school, and we had five Aboriginal Education Workers with heritage coming from all different parts of Australia working with us. They created a really safe space for kids to ask questions – even the tricky ones – and set the tone for learning. The message was always, ‘You can’t get it wrong if you’re trying to learn,’ and that gave students permission to be curious.”
Students also explored what caring for Country means and were welcomed to Country by fellow Year 7 students who are also members of the Kaurna community, which Jason describes as, “a brilliant experience for the kids to see their peers step into that advocacy role.”
Students with disabilities were fully included in the expedition through a slightly modified program, ensuring that the learning was accessible and meaningful for every student in Year 7.
The Year 7s worked collaboratively to produce ‘beautiful work’, an approach which is a component of all Learning Expeditions. They created maps of the garden, designed food webs to illustrate local biodiversity, and profiled native plants – including their scientific names and cultural uses. The process gave students “a real sense of pride in their work that I hadn’t seen before,” says Jason.
The project culminated in a launch event for the Yunggullungalla Medicinal Garden. Students acted as tour guides for their families and the wider school community. Looking back on the event, Jason says, “The kids showcased the garden, they were really proud of their work, and it showed.”
“We’ve seen increased student engagement, stronger attendance and improved confidence through Expedition Learning. We’re also creating a culture of innovation that equips learners as creative problem-solvers and engaged citizens,” says Jason.
The success of the project has had ripple effects beyond the school grounds. “We worked with Onkaparinga Council and Green Adelaide to secure funding to establish a second, smaller community garden on council land,” Jason explains. “It means that when this new garden is complete, what we’ve done can be shared with the wider community, not just those who visit the school grounds. The kids were so excited to know that people outside the school valued their work.”
The model is now being trialled in other year levels and subject areas at the school. Jason is currently running a Learning Expedition with Year 11 English Literary Studies students, where they are working towards publishing a book to be housed in the local library. “It’s an exciting space to be in. This whole experience has given me a real interest in learning design and curriculum development and I’m really keen to explore that further.”
For Jason, the key message for educators is to embrace the journey of learning alongside your students. “Be vulnerable, be curious, and invest yourself fully in the opportunities you have. When students see you learning, they rise to the occasion. And that’s when really powerful education happens,” he says.
“Studying at Flinders was so much more than just earning a degree, it really shaped who I am as a teacher and as a person. I found there were so many opportunities to learn, grow and get involved. My advice? Throw yourself into it and take every opportunity you can, because you’ll get so much back in return.”
Jason McKenzie won the Innovation in Teaching and Learning award in the 2025 South Australian Public Education Awards for his work with his Year 7 students to create the Christies Beach High School Yunggullungalla Medicinal Garden, a Department for Education Learning Expedition project. You can watch his award video here.
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