About Dr Carol Schultz

A Journey From Classroom to Research to Practice

Dr Carol Schultz’s career spans more than three decades in education, counselling and community development. Beginning as a Special Education Teacher in 1991, she discovered a deep passion for understanding how young people — especially those facing significant challenges — can be supported to live fulfilling lives.

Carol’s work with homeless and marginalised young people through street outreach, and her co-founding of the not-for-profit charity MADYACA Inc. (Making a Difference Youth Alliance Community of Australia), provided the foundation for her doctoral research. In 2018, she earned her Doctor of Professional Studies from the University of Southern Queensland, producing The Schultz Human Flourishing Model — a preventative, strengths-based framework for supporting human development.

She also holds a Master of Education with dual majors in Guidance Counselling and Special Education (2005), and a Bachelor of Teaching in Special Education (1990). Since 2019, Carol has served as a permanent Guidance Officer with the Queensland Department of Education, working across primary and secondary settings to support students with complex needs.

Carol has also served as a Casual Academic at the University of Southern Queensland, supervising Master of Education students and authoring the Guidance and Counselling Practicum Manual. She is a conference speaker, published researcher, and member of the Australian Association for Research in Education.