The Adventurers Academy

The Adventurers Academy of Lifelong Learning helps youth and adults with special needs in the Austin, Texas area develop lifelong independence and achieve their full potential through social, educational, recreational, and vocational experiences. The Adventurers offers a variety of programs to meet the varying needs of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

The Adventurers Academy

The daily Adventurers Academy is a unique alternative to traditional programs for adults who desire an active, engaging environment. It’s a place where they can learn new skills, develop new interests, and become more involved in their community through social outings, educational activities, vocational experiences, and volunteering to help others. The Academy helps them become more independent, make new friends, continue to learn, and broaden their interests.

Adventurers After Hours

On weekends and evenings, the Adventurers After Hours Program organizes community outings and field trips that include those who don’t attend the Academy during the week. Adventurers enjoy ball games, movies, theater shows, live music, bowling, and dining out!

Adventures !

Several times a year, Adventurers hit the road (or air or sea or rails!) for an extended trip, lasting several days, throughout Texas and beyond. They’ve been to California, Washington D.C., the Midwest via Amtrak, Colorado, the Caribbean and Mexico, and, of course, all over the great state of Texas! Where will they go next? Keep an eye out ... Adventurers may show up anywhere!

A Brief History of The Adventurers

The Adventurers began...

… over 25 years ago with outdoor education and recreational outings led by Austin adapted physical education teacher Diane Mackey. She was determined to provide challenging social and physical activity for her students at elementary schools in south Austin. She organized and raised funds for construction of an accessible playground, organized the Exceptional Games that hosted over 500 children with special needs in sports competitions, sponsored outdoor education overnight weekends at sites in the Austin area, and began leading out-of-town trips during the summer.

The grandest effort in those early years was a trip to Disneyland in California with a group of about 80 students and parents. Periodic out-of-town, overnight, and weekend trips continued, and an annual extended trip became a tradition.

The Adventurers now...

    ...include former students from Diane's special education classes, students who have moved on to high school, veterans of past adventures, and newcomers who join day outings. You can find Adventurers at bowling every week, on weekend field trips, participating in youth group activities at Woodlawn Baptist Church, and on the road in Texas or around the country.

The Adventurers Academy of Lifelong Learning... Opened in September 2012...

    ...continues the Adventurers efforts and philosophy by providing daily continuing social, educational, recreational, community and vocational experiences. Students spend part of the day in small group activities. A curriculum in basic math, reading, language arts, and social studies, led in a fun, supportive social setting, builds on and reinforces students' prior education. Another part of the day's schedule includes vocational training aimed at developing job and community skills.

    The well-established weekly, weekend, and extended travel activities continue and grow as part of the Adventurers After Hours Program and Adventures!