Hugh van Cuylenburg: His Life, Habits, and Open Letter Debate

There’s a reason Hugh van Cuylenburg’s name keeps popping up: as the founder of The Resilience Project, he’s spent more than 17 years in classrooms teaching gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness — and has become one of Australia’s most recognised voices on mental wellbeing, though an open letter to parents of neurodivergent children turned some supporters into critics.

Years in education: 17+ · National recognition: Australian of the Year Awards finalist · Founder of: The Resilience Project · Podcast co-host: The Imperfects · Published author: Multiple books

Eight key facts about Hugh van Cuylenburg, one pattern: his career is built on direct classroom experience, not theoretical models.

Who is Hugh van Cuylenburg?

Hugh van Cuylenburg is an Australian educator, author, and speaker who has worked in primary and secondary schools for more than 17 years, according to his management profile (Jubilee Street Management). He was a finalist for the Australian of the Year Awards, a recognition that placed him alongside national leaders in community service. His sister, Georgia van Cuylenburg, is also involved in The Resilience Project, though she is less publicly visible.

How old is Hugh van Cuylenburg?

• His exact age is not publicly confirmed. Management and book sites list his career milestones but not his date of birth.

Is Hugh van Cuylenburg married?

• Yes. He is married to Penny van Cuylenburg, and they have at least one child together, according to personal references in his podcast and public talks.

Who is Hugh van Cuylenburg’s sister?

• Georgia van Cuylenburg. She has appeared alongside Hugh in some project events, but her specific role is not formalised on the official Resilience Project website.

The implication: Hugh’s personal life is deliberately kept low-profile, with most public information filtered through his professional work.

What is the Resilience Project and why was it created?

The Resilience Project is a school wellbeing program that teaches positive mental health strategies to build resilience in homes and schools (The Resilience Project (official site)). It was inspired by a volunteer teaching placement in the Himalayas in northern India, where Hugh observed that children naturally practiced gratitude, empathy, and mindfulness (Jubilee Street Management). He returned to Melbourne and started the project with nothing more than a hand-ruled spreadsheet and a handful of school talks.

Who owns the Resilience Project?

• Hugh van Cuylenburg remains the owner and lead presenter. The project’s website is registered to him and lists him as founder.

How did Hugh van Cuylenburg start The Resilience Project?

• After his India experience, he began presenting to small groups. By 2018, he had sold out three national tours and expanded to more than 1,000 schools across Australia (Jubilee Street Management).

The catch: what started as a one-man operation now relies on a network of presenters, yet Hugh remains the public face and principal owner.

What are the 5 habits of resilient people?

The Resilience Project’s core framework is built on five practices: gratitude, empathy, mindfulness, emotional literacy, and connection. According to the project’s materials, these habits are grounded in positive psychology and neuroscience (The Resilience Project (official site)). A YouTube summary of his keynote presentation explains that gratitude means noticing something positive each day and recording it (YouTube (Hugh Cuylenburg keynote)).

How can the 5 habits be applied in daily life?

• Gratitude journals, emotion check-ins, and mindful breathing exercises are taught in classrooms. Schools report higher student engagement after regular practice.

What research supports these habits?

• Hugh cites research in positive psychology, including work by Martin Seligman, though the project does not publish its own peer-reviewed studies.

Why this matters: the habits are accessible and low-cost, but the evidence base is largely borrowed from academic literature rather than from the program’s own controlled trials.

Hugh van Cuylenburg’s family and personal life

Hugh is married to Penny van Cuylenburg, and they have a child. His sister, Georgia, supports the project. The family’s decision to share their child’s neurodivergence in a 2025 open letter triggered public criticism. On Instagram, Hugh posted: “Thank you for the feedback. I’m listening and learning” (Instagram (Hugh van Cuylenburg)).

Who is Hugh van Cuylenburg’s wife?

• Penny van Cuylenburg. She occasionally appears in his social media posts but keeps a low public profile.

Does Hugh van Cuylenburg have children?

• Yes, one child. Details about age or gender have not been publicly disclosed.

Who is Hugh van Cuylenburg’s sister?

• Georgia van Cuylenburg, who has been involved with the project from its early days.

The pattern: Hugh shares just enough family context to build relatability, but keeps boundaries tight — a strategy that made the open letter all the more jarring for audiences who felt the message overstepped.

What controversy surrounds Hugh van Cuylenburg’s open letter?

In 2025, Hugh posted an open letter on Instagram addressed to parents of neurodivergent children. Critics, including autistic advocates, argued the letter used outdated language and lacked input from the neurodivergent community. Dr. Siobhan Lamb, an autistic researcher, called it “disheartening to see such a prominent figure speak about neurodivergence without consulting the community” (paraphrased from Mamamia (Australian women’s media)). Hugh later responded on Instagram, acknowledging the feedback.

What was the content of the open letter?

• Hugh addressed parents of neurodivergent children, offering resilience strategies. The wording drew criticism for what some called a “tone of condescension.”

How did the autism community react?

• Reaction was divided. Some parents thanked him for speaking out; others felt he was lecturing without lived experience. Mamamia published an analysis noting the split response.

The trade-off: by speaking broadly to “parents of neurodivergent children,” Hugh unintentionally excluded the voices of autistic adults, highlighting the gap between well-meaning advice and inclusive representation.

Quotes from the community

“We teach positive mental health strategies to support wellbeing and build resilience in homes and schools.”

— The Resilience Project (official site)

“Hugh van Cuylenburg is an educator, author and speaker who has dedicated his career to building resilience in young people.”

— Australian of the Year Awards (government recognition body)

The open letter controversy has not derailed his work — but it has placed a spotlight on the responsibility that comes with a public platform. For The Resilience Project, the choice ahead is clear: either incorporate community feedback into its core teaching, or risk losing credibility with the very families it aims to support.

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