Tell me, and I will forget.

Show me, and I may remember.

Involve me, and I will understand.

Confucius, 450 BC

The St Catherine’s School Beyond Boundaries Program offers a sequenced Experiential Learning Program from Years 1 to 10 and is an essential component to the holistic education provided to prepare young women for their role in the global community. The Beyond Boundaries Program aims to enable students to develop resilience, independence and explore areas of personal growth and interest by offering programs that will extend their personal capabilities, develop leadership and teamwork skills; all whilst exploring experiences beyond the classroom. Our students have the opportunity to experience a variety of local and interstate camps and overseas trips as part of the Beyond Boundaries Program.

From 2018, St Catherine’s has broadened the opportunities and programs for students in the Senior School, designed to promote leadership, empathy, perseverance, integrity and curiosity.  With a sequential program linked with the Year 7 Jungai Program and the Year 9 Heyington to Highlands Fiji Trip, the Year 8 students will travel to Central Australia in 2018, in place of an Outdoor Education expedition. The Central Australia trip will focus on the cultural areas of significance in the Northern Territory, with curriculum links to geology, rock formation, Dreamtime stories, bush Medicine, language exploration, Indigenous Culture, traditions and spirituality. It is expected the students would gain an appreciation, awareness and understanding of Indigenous Culture with the curriculum areas, including Art, Geography, Science and History.

At St Catherine’s, students in Years 9 to 11 are encouraged to participate in activities designed to achieve their Bronze, Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. The distinguished Award scheme is recognised globally and provides students with a challenging journey of self-discovery whilst empowering students to achieve their personal best, learn to take responsibility for their goals and choices, be actively engaged and connected with their immediate community, contribute positively to society, persevere and gain employability skills.

The Year 10 Beyond Boundaries Program will provide students ‘optional’ programs to undertake during the School holiday periods in conjunction with the opportunities offered through the Trips and Exchanges programs, including:

• NASA Science Study Tour
• Italian Study Tour
• French Study Tour
• Language exchanges (France and Japan)
• USA exchange
• Overland Track – Odyssey
• Proserpine – Whitsundays Sea Kayaking
• Chinese Cultural Trip

Many of the programs offered can contribute to the achievement of the Duke of Edinburgh Awards. Year 10 students will be offered a range of global and local physical and/or cultural experiences that complement students curriculum opportunities. These expeditions and trips will enable students to develop resilience, independence and explore areas of personal growth and interest, while offering students the ability to extend their personal capabilities, develop leadership and teamwork skills, whilst exploring experiences beyond the classroom.

All Year 10 students will attend a three day Wellbeing Camp with a focus on improving the girls’ awareness of how to manage their health and wellbeing in readiness for VCE years.

As John Dewey suggests:

“Experiential learning takes place when a person involved in an activity looks back and evaluates it, determines what was useful or important to remember, and uses this information to perform another activity.”