Testimonials
 
“Having completed another year of the ‘Kokoda Trek’ with our Year 8 cohort, I cannot more highly reccommend Damo and his team at Character Builders. Every event is extremely well organised and run, and the team are brilliant at accommodating the wide range of needs, personalities and challenges that come when working with students. From the minute that we hopped of the bus, Damo and his team were running the show, working with the the students and setting them up for success. We currently work with Character Builders each year for our Year 8’s (Kokoda trek) and our Year 11’s entering leadership positions in Year 12. With nothing but positive experiences with the team, we’re also looking forward to having Character Builders work with our Year 9 leaders in future years. Thanks again, Character Builders!”
~ Joseph Taylor, Alexandra Hills State High School, Year 8
“Character Builders provided an amazing program for our Year 10 students which was tailored to their needs as a cohort. Damon, Clare and the team offered authentic and purposeful activities that all students engaged with positively. Character Builders understanding of the students’ needs and flexibility was fantastic! I would highly recommend Character Builders for any school and look forward to working with them again in the future. “
~ Jordan Whitney, Brigidine College, Year 10
“We appreciate the way Character Builders are always keen to attend our Team Building Days. Todd engaged our team and always added positive energy, fun and great value through his session. In turn he was able to bring the best out of our team. We would highly recommend Character Builders as your first choice to be included in a Team Building Event.”
~ Anna Eade, Bendpro
“This was by far the best excursion we have attended. The students were fully engaged at all times and challenged themselves to work as a team and support each other. The instructors went out of their way to get to know each individual student. It was such a successful day and we will use many of the princples of the day in our lessons throughout the rest of the year.”
~ Michelle Levy, Rosewood State School, Year 6
“From the beginning of the process until the very end, the Character Builders team were a delight to work with! Their calm, clear and approachable manner put our staff and students at ease and their trust in our students allowed students’ creativity and leadership to shine during the Treasure Hunt. I highly recommend Character Builders to any school to enhance student wellbeing, leadership and character-building!”
~ Corinne Jennings, Queensland Academies Creative Industries Campus
“We had our team building day with Damon in July – it was a great morning to learn and explore the activities as a Team. The session was highly valuable on both a personal and workplace level. Damon and his team were wonderful in attending to our needs for the day and helped us include our remote staff member in WA.”
~ Sal Mazza, Wealth Depot
“Great experiences that saw students who are usually reluctant to take part, step up and have an enjoyable day. Very encouraging of all and closing the day by offering kudos to students who played a positive part in the running of the day was awesome.”
~ Nicole Drew, Head of Middle Years Students, Good Shepherd Lutheran College
“Character Builders once again were a fantastic asset for our Year 11 Camp. The team helped our cohort self-identify areas where they would love to see growth, and inspired and equipped them with the skills to work towards that growth. The session was a great balance of deep, insightfully led discussion and practical, fun activities.”
~ Martin Zerk, Redlands College
“True character-building activities, passionate and animated staff with a very professional approach to all participants.”
~ Lesley Mann, St Sebastian’s
“The Lakes College had the pleasure of attending a Character Builders session designed to support Year 12 students with their well-being and identity. Damon created a calm and secure space for students to identify their character strengths and then to share their story in a safe trusted environment. The connection that was established amongst the group and Damon’s relatability to the students was one of authentic care. The Lakes College would not hesitate to recommend Character Builders to any organisation.”
~ Mandy Dovey, College Psychologist, The Lakes College
“Thank you Character Builders we couldn’t be happier and looked forward to the continued relationship with the team! Big Up to all at Character Builders for creating an experience that exceeded the expectations of some of the teachers who attended! Also for always listening and making adjustments to meet our needs, we thank you. We are extremely grateful to have such a wonderful partnership. Thank you.”
~ Kylie Fletcher, All Hallows
“For over 12 years I have worked with Damon and his team from Character Builders. Damon’s passion for working with youth comes from his deep desire to support the safe formation of the whole person. Damon sets about establishing a strong connection by learning names immediately and appreciating each individual’s personal story. He has a unique ability to discover the character strength within a young person and simultaneously find the ‘gems’ or traits waiting to be uncovered and nurtured. Young adults flourish when they are connected and engaged with Damon, as he opens their hearts and heals their spirit.”
~ Madonna Potter – Deputy Head of Secondary, The Lakes College
“Character Builders was an amazing and invaluable experience for our Year 11 cohort. Our students were initially sceptical but this quickly changed as they engaged in a range of activities that challenged their perception of themselves and their year group, fostering teamwork and critical thinking in the process. The days were excellently sequenced, each starting with a team-building exercise and developing into opportunities for students to strengthen their communication skills. The instructors were charismatic and engaging, regular pushing students beyond their comfort zones. Coming out of this experience, our students are much more open-minded and understanding of each other. We will definitely be having Character Builders return to our school and I would strongly recommend them to any school that is looking for a way to foster strong personal connections between students.”
~ Jonathan Dean, Year 11, McCarthy Catholic College
“Our Year 7 girls attended their camp at Alexandra Headlands with Character Builders being the facilitators. I can’t speak more highly of Damo, Josie and Lucy in leading our camp. The Character Builders’ values and ethos align perfectly with our School. The girls come away from camp with better connections to each other. This comes about because the Character Builders team listen carefully to feedback and desired outcomes for the camp and cater for this in every way possible. The girls had a fantastic time and enjoy the company of the personable and enthusiastic team members. Each of our School staff also enjoys the interactions they have with the Character Builders’ staff and together everyone works effectively to ensure the camp is a success.”
~ Kylie Fletcher, All Hallows
Our students and staff at St Peter’s were extremely impressed with our Leadership Camp facilitated by Character Builders. Our students walked away having built fantastic connections and skills that will guide them throughout the year as a result of the quality and exciting activities they were able to engage in. Staff and students alike left with smiles on their faces and many positive memories built. Thanks Character Builders!”
~ Chris Inglis, St Peter’s Catholic Primary School
An enormous thank you from Radford Junior School for an inspiring, energetic and enjoyable session. We have had glowingly positive feedback from our staff and are hoping for the vibe to continue into and throughout the year. Thanks again.
~ Nick Martin, Radford College, Canberra
Incredible! For the past 4 years Graceville State School’s Year 5 students have undertaken the Kokoda Challenge run by Character Builders. Each and every year the students have a wonderful experience, learning what it means to have leadership qualities. 2017 was the best year yet. Students being put outside of their comfort zone whilst developing collaboration and communication skills effectively. Character Builders support every student and always support the school’s focus areas with their skilful and purposeful planning and implementation.
~ William Guthrie, Graceville State School
The teachers said they had an awesome day and it was very good for the kids. I don’t know any details because I didn’t go. Thank goodness! I do the bookings and have found it very easy to get in touch with you with questions and requests.
~ Helma, Toowong State School
We have used Character Builders to assist with our leadership program for quite a number of years. All interactions with the staff have been positive, with them demonstrating experience in developing relationships with students in a caring and engaging manner. Both students and staff thoroughly enjoy the activities and programs delivered.
~ Anita Spencer, Acting Deputy Director of Primary, Cannon Hill Anglican College
Character Builders were great to work with in all respects.  They carefully adapted their program so that all of the activities were new to the students from the 14 participating primary and they were excellent at making the program meet the brief given.
~ Amanda Cooper, Deputy Principal, Hilder Road State School
Just a quick email to say thank you so much for yesterday – it was a terrific day. Damon and his team were fantastic and they related to and worked with the kids so well. They were impressive! I loved the messages that Damon was giving the children – it was just what I was after. Hopefully, this is the start of our journey of having 112 Year 6 leaders in our Primary School. I have received nothing but positive and encouraging feedback from both the staff and students, both saying how great the day was.
~ Robert Patterson, Head of Primary, St Andrew’s Anglican College
It was especially powerful to see students stepping up to the challenges, collaborating in groups and passing on motivating messages to each other. Amongst all the fun and excitement were the serious concepts of choosing our attitude, how we present ourselves to others and making the right choices every day. Very inspiring for all concerned
~ Alison Williamson, Centenary State High School
As a past student at Griffith University I have had many opportunities to participate in Character Builders Workshops and Experiences. I would strongly recommend Character Builders programs for any student looking to develop their interpersonal skills and overall career aspirations.
~ Brynne Beck, Social Worker at Domestic Violence Prevention Centre
We recently hired Character Builders to facilitate our team activity at our conference. Damon was fantastic in his facilitation of the group holding their attention and ensuring the activities were relevant to the group and the overall style of our conference.
~ Naomi Power, Executive Assistant, Commonwealth Bank
Our students and staff had a wonderful day of teambuilding and fun with the Character Builders. I would highly recommend their services to any school looking to enhance wellbeing and character growth in their students.
~ Jeannine Shainfeld, Reddam House School, Sydney
I would have no hesitation ion recommending Character Builders consultancy. The workshops are engaging, informative, creative and entertaining. Our students love working with Character Builders.
~ Michelle O’Brien, Manager, Student Transition and Leadership Team, Griffith University
We recently asked Character Builders to facilitate a Team Building Session for us. The work of Damon and his team was excellent. They worked well with us to ensure the session was “on point” and delivered a highly engaging session for our team that linked perfectly to our overall objectives for the day.
~ Chris Shay, Former Crowe Horwath now CEO & Director at Viden Group Pty Ltd
Our school has had a relationship with Character Builders over many years. The quality programs focusing on building students’ skills has been what has kept us returning year after year and has seen us commit to expanding the number of groups worked with.
~ Maree Wallace, St Luke Capalaba
Character Builders was the answer we needed in pulling together a strategy for the transition of 500 new high school students in their initial stages of study with the Southbank Tertiary Entrance Program.
Damon was contracted by our team at Southbank Institute of Technology to pull together an orientation for a unique group of students needing greater preparation for tertiary studies. From concept to delivery I knew we were in the hands of an expert who understood the needs of our organisation alongside those of our students. His outstanding interpersonal skills and expertise within school and tertiary education sectors delivered a memorable and meaningful experience for all staff and students involved. I look forward to the opportunity of working with him again in the future.
~ Program Coordinator – Vocational and Higher Education, now QUT
The staff at Character Builders have always been amazing with our students! They are highly motivated, very caring and extremely organised. Over the years, all of our students have responded positively to their methods of delivery. Working with Character Builders is always a lot of fun!
~ Michael Crowe, St Margaret’s
Character Builders designed and taught a two day program that prepared a cohort of pre-service primary teachers to teach Heath and Physical Education at QUT. The program was extremely successful and the students learnt valuable skills such as: inclusive strategies for encouraging all students to work in groups; games that include all students; and positive role modelling for building students’ self-esteem. This program has been regarded as one of the highlights of the year for these students.
~ Donna King, Senior Lecturer, QUT
I am a Year 5 Teacher at Aspley State School and have attended a number of Kokoda Trail Development days over many years. I find the activities highly motivating and valuable for our students each year. It is particularly useful when the children are planning their approach for becoming Student Leaders in Year 6. I would highly recommend this Excursion from an educator’s perspective.
~ Elaine Dooley, Aspley State School
This day was for our Year 11 students and it was held on a Sunday. Our girls were not all that keen to be giving up their time for what many thought was just going to be another day talking about leadership. Their reactions to the day were all very positive and the girls were so glad they had had the opportunity to have been involved. They learnt about themselves and others in their year level and felt much closer as a cohort as a result of their participation in the day. The staff and Damien particularly were enthusiastic, approachable and fun for the girls to work with. Once again, we highly recommend Character Builders in helping to prepare our girls for future leadership.
~ Sue Reynolds, Middle Years Teacher, Year 7 & Head of Hale House, The Glennie School Toowoomba