Learning Journeys is heavily involved in supporting our community.
 

Alzheimers Tauranga Volunteers.
Simon and Michele, as owners of Learning Journeys provide transport and driver support for our local Alzheimers volunteer group, so assisting with half day trips for sufferers and their carers in the local community.
 

Graeme Dingle Foundation.
We actively support the Graeme Dingle Foundation and their projects here in Tauranga. This aims at putting teams into every primary and middle school in the area and teaches children values such as respect and integrity. Schools that run this programme have seen a dramatic decrease in bullying and absenteeism, and communities have reported significantly lower youth crime. We contribute by letting them use the company’s mini-buses for student excursions, at no cost, meaning they can attend activities all over the North Island. Simon and Michele Beaton, the owners of Learning Journeys, also help to fund raise for The Graeme Dingle Foundation via their active membership Tauranga Sunrise Rotary Club. 
 

Project K Mentoring.
Mentoring. Rachel, our Operations Manager is a volunteer mentor for Project K. Project K focusses on building confidence, teaching life skills, promoting good health, relationships and encouraging a positive attitude. The aim of Project K is to arm rangatahi with a belief in their own ability to complete tasks and achieve goals, and to help them find purpose and direction, transforming their lives. As a mentor, her role is to build a trusting partnership with a Project K student and to help them to set and achieve their goals.
 

TECT Rescue Helicopter.
Learning Journeys is a financial supporter of this organisation. New Zealand has many communities and areas, far away from medical help in the event of emergency. The TECT rescue helicopter is solely funded by donations and community groups. Many lives are saved each year flying emergency cases to major hospitals both in the Bay of Plenty and Auckland.
 

Trees for Survival.
This Rotary based project helps students at local high schools grow trees which are then used for planting in the Kopurererua Valley, the largest urban wetland restoration project in the Southern Hemisphere. The aim is to return this 300 hectare reserve to its original state. So far, over 220,000 trees have been planted by Tauranga City Council in partnership with several organisations including Centennial Trust,  a Rotary project set up initially during Simon’s time as president of his club. Learning Journeys is currently looking at how they can increase their contribution to this project with the idea of making the company ‘carbon neutral’ in the future.
 

Sustainable Dairying.
Dairying, along with tourism, is one of New Zealand’s two largest earners of foreign currency. Fonterra, a local company is the largest exporter of milk powder in the World. This comes at an environmental cost. Learning Journeys runs field trips for New Zealand and overseas secondary schools, looking at how dairy farming can be made more environmentally friendly. Working closely with a certified organic dairy farm in the Waikato, students are introduced to sustainable dairy practices and provide native tress for riparian planting. By doing so they help reduce the leaching of nutrients (nitrogen, phosphates etc) into streams and groundwater supplies.
 

Coast Care.
Urban sprawl and beach activities have created many erosion problems for coastal communities. Working with Coast Care and Bay of Plenty Regional Council, many of our school groups are actively involved in dune planting and restoration in the Bay of Plenty region. 
 

Child Sponsorship.
Learning Journeys contributes to the New Zealand based Variety Kiwi Kid Sponsorship, an organisation that provides financial help to disadvantaged kids in our community helping to pay for doctor’s bills, stationery for schools, bedding, clothing etc. Learning Journeys also sponsors two overseas children as well as supporting CCF, Unicef, Save the Children and World Vision.
 

St John's Ambulance
Learning Journeys is a regular contributor to St John, helping fund their ambulance and medical services New Zealand wide.

With so many trips into town and local schools being less than 100 kms, it made sense to invest in a brand-new Nissan Leaf 3. With 85% of New Zealand’s power produced from renewable energy sources such as hydro, wind and geothermal, this significantly reduces Learning Journeys ‘carbon’ footprint and compliments our use of solar energy for producing hot water.
 

Rotary International.
Both the owners, Simon and Michele are active members of the Tauranga Sunrise Rotary club. The club supports many Tauranga, New Zealand and international causes including Polio Plus and assisting with community projects in Vanuatu. Past projects include financially supporting and visiting a community school, Mazzepa Bay in the Transkei and assisting with funding medical services and training at a leper colony in Vietnam.