WELS School
Wellbeing. Entrepreneurship. Leadership. Sustainability.
About Us
Founder & Director - Ben Righetti MBA, Grad Dip.Ed. MSocDev, BSc COR, MEd*
Ben Righetti is the Founder and Director of WELS. Ben is a passionate, highly experienced and high qualified educator, community development coordinator, program manager, coach and mentor, with over 15 years experience developing innovative and highly successful programs for young people, schools and organisations around Australia.
Welcome to WELS
Welcome one and all to the WELS School.
At WELS we believe wholeheartedly in the adage 'young people are our future' and that inspiring experiences, which are both meaningful and challenging, play a critical role in their development.
Our goal is to help inspire and support people to develop into healthy, ethical and entrepreneurial global citizens and unique leaders, who will help to create a fairer and sustainable world.
WELS is dedicated to providing young people, our clients and members, with inspirational and life changing learning experiences and support services. Our mission is to provide inspiring and life changing learning experiences to as many young people as we can in Australia - and globally.
Young people, parents, schools, organisations and all our partners can be sure we will work in partnership with you to develop the highest quality programs and support services that are innovative, engaging and personalised to your goals and needs.
WELS is a small but innovative social organisation and enterprise established in 2013 that is continuing to evolve. Please join us or contact us to find out more.
What We Do
We offer a range of innovative and individually tailored programs and services to young people, families and organisations around Australia.
Our key programs and services are:
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Holiday Programs & Camps
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Programs & Courses for Schools
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Personal Development & Educational Programs & Coaching
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Leadership Club & Challenge
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Consulting & Advice - Young People. Parents. Schools. Organisations.
Our Approach & Unique Difference
Wellbeing & The Whole Person
The goal of all of our programs and services is to make a positive contribution to the wellbeing, personal development and holistic education of the 'whole person'. When we say 'whole person' we really mean their unique social, intellectual, emotional and physical wellbeing and development. Yes - everyone says this but we really do it!
Our programs are focused on the medium and long term personal and social development and growth of the people we work with but almost every person also experiences an immediate positive benefit!
Partnerships
We develop authentic and respectful relationships with every person we work with: young people, parents, schools, organisaions clients and community members. We do everything in true partnership with you. Everyone who works with us says we are the great to work with because we're so passionate, collaborative, ethical, highly skilled and professional - and lots of fun to work with!
Inspiring & Personalised Programs & Support
Young people, parents and clients continue to tell us our programs and services make such a positive difference to their wellbeing, personal development and social development because:
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they're personalised and tailored to the goals, needs and interests of participants and our partners;
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they're innovative, challenging, highly engaging and inspiring;
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we have the most passionate, inspiring, highly experienced and qualified coordinators, educators and facilitators;
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we have a unique, highly effective and inspiring learning and educational approach.
All of us here at the WELS School look forward to meeting you in the future as we endeavour to immerse young people in the key areas of life now and in the future - wellbeing, entrepreneurship, leadership and sustainability. Join us!
Ben Righetti
Ben is a passionate, highly qualfiied and highly experienced educator, community development coordinator, program desginer and coordinator, facilitator, social entrepreneur, coach and mentor. He has a deep and long-time commitment to the wellbeing and holistic education of young people - and to sustainability and social justice. Ben has more than 15 years’ experience working with young people across Australia as an educator, community development coordinator, program manager, mentor and coach. He has a unique ability to connect with people and motivating them to strive towards achieving their goals - whatever they may be. Ben is passionate about every young person developing their unique talents and wellbeing, living their dreams, and using their talents and passions to help change the world. Ben is the Founder and Director of the WELS School.
Since founding WELS in 2013, Ben has developed and coordinated a number of innovaive and highly successful personal development, leadership, resilience, entrepreneurship, wellbeing and health programs and camps for young people of all ages in the ACT and Victoria. Ben has lead the development and coordination of the unique range of school holiday programs and camps in Melbourne and Canberra. He has also developed a coordinated a number of new programs and initiatives for schools and provided advice and coaching to young people and families. In 2014, he developed and coordinated a new community service, leadership and social entrepreneruship program at Campbell High School. During 2014, at Canberra Grammar School he developed many innovative new programs and initiatives focused on student wellbeing, leadership, community service, and personalised and project based learning.
Ben has extensive experience in education and has worked as a highly innovative and successful teacher in a number of different schools. This has included Canberra Grammar School, Noble Park English Language School, Marcellin College, Sydney Secondary College, Melbourne Girls’ College and Melbourne Grammar School. He has also undertaken periods of voluntary teaching work in Papua New Guinea and a remote community school in the Pilbra region of Western Australia.
Ben’s wide array of life and experience includes working as a Community Development Coordinator for a non-profit community organisation in southern and south-eastern subrurbs of Sydney, where his work was focussed on developing community based projects and initiatives in partnership people and communities living in public housing estates. He also worked for the Department of Human Services in Victoria, as a Program Manager on the Neighbourhood Renewal Program, which was community based, whole-of-government social development program that worked partnership with residents living in the inner-city public housing estates to improve improving employment, education, health, community safety, housing and civic participation.
Ben(MBA, Grad Dip.Ed. MSocDev BSc. COR MEd*) Founder & Director
WELS Team
Charlotte (BSC Cert..Acting) Program Coordinator & Leader
Charlotte is a passionate and multi-talented actor, coach, scientist, entertainer and program coordinator. She has more than 10 years' experience working with diverse groups of young people as a coach, mentor and childrens' entertainer. Charlotte is a highly creative, energetic and positive person, yet also deeply caring and empathetic. These are just some of uncredible qualities that allows her to develop powerful and positive relationships with everyone she works with.
In addition to being a highly valued member of the WELS team and program assistant on our holiday programs, Charlotte is also running her own entertainment business, studying and working as an actor, and working as a sleep scientist. You will love working with Charlotte.
Charlotte
Tim
Tim (B Education CPT) Program Coordinator & Leader
Tim is an award winning educator, speaker and author, personal trainer, coach and motivator currently based in Canberra, Australia. His mission is to contribute to the development of a future generation of leaders who adopt a resilient and courageous approach to life, whilst striving to reach their full potential, live their optimum life and contribute positively to society. Tim is Joint Coordinator of the WELS School.
From 2011- 2013 Tim created and directed the hugely successful Total Sports Holiday Programs in Canberra. Here, young athletes developed greater self-esteem through the celebration of their strengths. The Total Sports Programs also transformed young people who had previously felt that athletic pursuits were beyond them. These programs brought elite level coaches and nutritionist together as guest presenters to inspire the young people who attended.
Tim has worked as a teacher at Canberra Grammar School for more than 10 years where he managed responsibilities across all areas of the school. Tim has worked as a boarding house tutor, Master In Charge of Junior Sport, and taught the highly acclaimed music elective class. Tim was shortlisted for a NEITA Excellence in Teaching Awards twice before finally being an award recipient in 2013. Tim believes the intensity of modern life demands that productivity, creativity and leadership have become essential qualities that need to be developed in young people. He also believes that access to the practise of mindfulness is essential if young people are to remain energised and connected with the rapidly changing world they must deal with. Tim, who was a 4-year head coach of the ACT Junior Brumbies rugby union side, has worked extensively with elite junior athletes, musicians and artists as a coach and mentor, inspiring them to dream big and then adopt a dedicated and strategic approach to making these dreams a reality. He is currently involved in several music projects involving young musicians and was a judge of the 2014 CGS House Rock Competition.
Tim has visited more than 40 countries and experienced life in many cultures. This combined with his rural background has connected him deeply to issues of human dignity and social justice. Tim strives to uphold the mantra, ‘Actions Speak Louder than Words’ and is the ACT Community Leader for global social enterprise ‘Off the Mat into the World ‘. Tim embraces the entrepreneurial spirit, and supports anyone who desires to adopt an innovative and creative approach to service of any kind.
Tom (B Education) Program Coordinator & Leader
Tom is a passionate, highly motivated and enthusiastic educator who has been teaching for the past 3 years throughout Geelong, the Surfcoast and Melbourne. He brings many innovative ideas and new ideas that will benefit WELS participants. Tom is an open, down to earth person and highly approachable person, educator and coach, who people just love to work with and learn with. He has a long-time passionate for making a positive contribution to the lives of young people and assisting them in reaching their full potential.
Tom has a keen interest in sport, health and the outdoors, which has led him to his role as a teacher and Coordinator of Outdoor Education at independent Melbourne school. He has significant experience developing and coordinating high quality outdoor programs and camps in a range of locations. He strongly believe in the benefits of experiential education and giving students greater responsibility of their own learning, which allows each person discover and develop their natural qualities and talents.