Spirituality & Faith infused Retreats that build character today to impact a life-time
At The Character Project, our mission is to build character today that will impact a lifetime, through the lens of spirituality and faith.
We believe that purpose, fulfilment and lasting success, are directly influenced by the strength of one’s character.
We facilitate authentic Spiritual & Faith infused Workshops & Retreats that build character to empower the next generation to find a place of connection and belonging as they learn, live and lead.
We bring to life both time-tested and current research on the physical, emotional, intellectual, and spiritual development of a person's character, through the use of a strengths-based approach, practical applications, hands-on activities, and real stories shared by real people. We explore what it means to be a person of character in today’s world—to take the road less travelled and lead a life of significance and contribution - grounded in Faith, Hope and Love.
OUR WAY
OUR PROGRAMS
Connect & Belong
YR 7-9 students
Our Connect & Belong Retreat is an authentic & inclusive opportunity for students to engage and grow as they connect with the messages of character, self, others, God, belonging, gratitude, scripture, forgiveness, Spirituality and relationships. It will engage, unite and uplift your students.
Free To Become
Yr 10-12 students
Our Free to Become Retreat is an authentic & inclusive opportunity for students to engage with some of the important questions and practical principles to foster a strong character & spirituality, that empowers students to break free from the shadows of their self-limiting beliefs & be, become, belong, believe & connect to all they were created to be. This day allows students the opportunity to encounter their heart.
Looking for more or less than a day?
Looking for something shorter or longer? We can work with you to tailor our retreats to suit your timeframes. From short Impact Sessions (Eg 1-2 lessons of approx 60-90 min) up to Multi-day Retreats and Camps. Contact us today for further information.
OUR DIFFRENCE
Authentic & Engaging
More than Just a Retreat
At The Character Project, our proven Learn, Act, Reflect Process balances active engagement with authentic content, drawn from real knowledge and experience. We use a language that students can relate to and learn from.
Designed & Delivered
Our programs are designed by Pete McAuliffe and Luke McKenna. Between them, they have more than 25 years experience in this space and have worked with over 300,000 students across Australia and Ireland. The Character Project team are highly skilled and well-trained to deliver these workshops to students.
Has a Lasting Impact
We are driven to see our impact go beyond the exceptional retreat experience that we offer, by delivering practical, proven skills that make a real and lasting difference in the everyday life of your students.
RETREAT DESIGN AND DELIVERY
All retreats have been expertly designed by Pete McAuliffe and Luke McKenna.
Pete McAuliffe is the Head of The Character Project. He is an edutrainer with over a decade of experience working with schools, communities, and church groups. He is passionate about helping individuals develop both their inner character and outer contribution, Pete empowers them to lead, influence, and serve with authenticity and purpose. His journey began as a college captain, sparking his commitment to inspiring students and staff to find meaning in faith and spirituality, and to lead through influence rather than power. Pete has been working with UPP since 2016, and has delivered UPP workshops to more than 90,000 students across Australia and more recently Ireland.
Luke McKenna is the Founder and Director of Unleashing Personal Potential (UPP). Previously, he was an Assistant Principal at a Catholic School in Brisbane. He taught Religious Education for years, before starting UPP. Luke holds degrees in Business and Education, a Masters of Educational Leadership, a Graduate Certificate in Religious Education and a Professional Certificate in Positive Education. He has also presented at State-wide Catholic Principals and Deputy Principals conferences.
The Character Project Retreats are delivered by our team of hand-picked, highly trained specialists from the UPP team. All of our workshops are tried and tested to be practical, engaging, positive, interactive and age appropriate. UPP workshops have had a positive impact on more than 300,000 Australian students since commencing in 2015 and are highly trusted by Teachers and Principals across Australia.
We use our learning, action, reflection process for all workshops, which ensures that all students are engaged through a variety of different modes (video, stories, activities, reflection, partner sharing, etc). For more about that, check out our guarantee.
The Character Project Retreats are authentic and inclusive of students who are at different parts of their faith journey. The aim is that after a Character Project Retreat, each student will be more open to exploring their spirituality, and that the whole cohort will be more connected.
Acknowledgement of Country
The Character Project acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land, honouring their enduring connection to this country and their teachings and wisdom in fostering character, belonging, spirituality, purpose, Faith, connection and community. We pay our respects to Elders past, present, and emerging.
