Enriched by cultural experience

A GROUP of Cranbourne VCE students swapped the traditional Schoolies Week for an exchange program in Soloman Islands last year.
Eight Year 12 students and two staff members from St Peter’s College headed off to Solomon Islands for a 14-day exchange program in November following the completion of VCE exams.
As an alternative to Schoolies Week, the college offers its students a community immersion and cultural exchange experience with Bishop Epalle Catholic School at the start of the year.
Once selected, they committed to a fund-raising program for the Bishop Epalle community and managed to raise more than $10,000 dollars throughout last year.
Throughout the year, they also undertook numerous extra-curricular activities to extend their knowledge of the culture and language, Pidgin English, of the community they visited.
During their stay, students helped in classes at the school and presented lessons about Australia, community and college.
They also undertook excursions across the Islands, paying their respects and laying wreaths at both the Japanese and American War Memorials, visiting a session of the local parliament, attending church on Sundays with the local community and Mass at the Honiara Catholic Cathedral.
At night, they stayed with host families to fully immerse themselves in the local environment and culture.
St Peter’s College teacher and trip leader Roger Hampson said he was proud of the students.
“Not only did they give up the opportunity to party with their friends and peers in schoolies events, they also put time aside, throughout what was a very busy year of study for them, to ready themselves for the trip by learning about the Solomon Islands environment and culture and to raise the much-needed funds for their donation,” he said.
Student Gabrielle Harrison said she loved the trip.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime, I would encourage anyone to visit a third world country’ with their school if they have the opportunity and see literally what a privilege living and growing up in Australia is,” she said.
“The trip capped off a year where we had learnt about their environment and culture and had put a lot of time and effort into raising funds for them.
“It was wonderful to see their appreciation and what a difference it will make to their day to day lives first hand.”