Immersion

Years 10 and 12 students are invited each year to apply to attend an immersion to work alongside the staff and students of The School of St Jude in Tanzania.

The school of St Jude was established by Gemma Sisia in 2002 to educate the poor. It is now one of the top academic performing schools in the country. Gemma Sisia is a country girl from Guyra in NSW who has achieved great things for some of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable children in the world. This immersion is a tangible expression of ‘mission’; those who participate are undertaking a pilgrimage, an exploration of their own spirituality and place. Ultimately, it challenges our students’ perception of needs and wants.

This annual immersion gives students the unique opportunity to bear witness to and experience the dichotomised lives and culture of Indigenous people in the Kimberley. Time is spent in Broome and in remote untouched communities reaching out as far as the Wunaamin Miliwundi Ranges. Daily activities range from visiting the Broome drop-in centre for disadvantaged children, engaging with the Stolen Generation Community, camping and fishing. Students gain an understanding of traditional cultural education through storytelling and visits to sacred meeting sites and 30,000 year old rock art.

The College has a longstanding connection with the Marist Brothers in Timor-Leste, since 2004. The experience includes work at Lautem School and Katilosa, working with children with disabilities. When boys arrive, they visit the Timor-Leste museum to immerse in local history, plant trees and teach swimming to the younger boys.