​Opportunities to travel with School instil greater cultural understanding and broader perspectives and personal awareness.

A Passport to Learning

St Catherine’s School provides students with a wide range of opportunities to extend their learning, knowledge and confidence through interstate and overseas travel. Our well-established exchange programs and study tours broaden the educational offerings allowing Senior School students to contribute to the wider community, explore opportunities and develop a deep understanding of their responsibilities within local, national and international contexts.

Language Exchanges

Our Language Exchange program takes our students out of the classroom and into the culture.

Over the summer holidays selected Senior students from Years 10 and 11 improve their language skills and appreciation for the culture in which they are studying through placement at St Catherine’s sister Schools across the globe.

St Catherine’s is proud to partner with the following sister Schools as part of our Language Exchange program:

  • Otsuma High School, Tokyo, Japan
  • Shukutoku High School, Nagoya, Japan
  • Cours Fénelon, Toulon
  • Olive Tree International Academy, Hangzhou, China
Cultural Exchanges

Available to students in Years 9 and 10 our Cultural Exchange program broadens horizons for our girls who are not studying a language at School. Year 9 students can travel to the United Kingdom or Canada and Year 10 students to the United States of America.

St Catherine’s holds strong links with the following sister schools as part of our Cultural Exchange program:

  • St Catherine’s School, Bramley, United Kingdom
  • St. George’s School, Ascot, United Kingdom
  • Shawnigan Lake School, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
  • Tower Hill School, Delaware, United States of America

In turn, participating students host students from St Catherine’s sister schools during return visits.

Study Tours

St Catherine’s offers a range of tours to cater for the many interests of our students and the diversity of our curriculum.

Overseas Study Tours are offered annually to enrich the study of areas such as History, Art, Music, Languages, Geography and STEM from Years 8 to 12.

Study Tours are offered every two years, so interested students would be able to attend the tour of their choice usually in Years 10 or 11, although some tours are open to younger students.

Students have previously travelled to Italy, France, China and Japan.

Global Young Leaders

Global Young Leaders Conferences are held in Washington DC and New York, USA. The conferences offer Year 11 students the chance to meet world leaders and exchange ideas with people including business leaders, diplomats, politicians and journalists as well as experiencing a range of social and cultural activities. Students attend the conference independent of the School.

Study Tours

Italy Art Study Tour – an opportunity to experience the great galleries and major sites of Italy. Visiting Venice, Prato, Florence, Sienna, Assisi and Rome Art students are able to view some of the world’s most famous pieces of Art and sketch amongst inspiring locations.

China Study Tour – introduces students to the fascinating aspects of China’s past and present. Venturing off the tourist track the Tour provides students time to interact with locals and visit Beijing and Shanghai, climb the Great Wall, see the Terracotta Warriors and visit our sister School Olive Tree International Academy. In 2019, this trip will be offered to Year 8 and 9 students.

NASA Space Camp – endorsed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Years 10 and 11 students will participate in a rigorous program at NASAs training facility in Alabama as well as visiting NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

French Study Tour – involves a two-week trip to France to see many of the famous sights, such as the Louvre Museum, the Eiffel Tower, the Versailles Palace, along with many historically significant sights such as the First World War Battlefields and the D-Day beaches at Normandy. Students will also receive intensive language classes to help develop their language skills.

Japan Study Tour – introduces students to three very different cities of Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagoya. The tour is designed to give participants a rich experience, both linguistically and culturally. It includes a visit to Shukutoku High School, our sister school in Nagoya and a short homestay where students will be provided with many opportunities to interact with their host families. On this tour, students will take part in cultural workshops such as a traditional tea ceremony or making Japanese wax food.

Expeditions

World Challenge Expedition

Offers education through experience packed with eye-opening cultural exchanges, physical challenges, and meaningful service projects in some of the world’s most beautiful developing countries. Students are engaged in all aspects of the trip, playing a major role in planning their itinerary, including project work in a local community and a challenging trek. Students are also supported in setting and achieving individual and team fundraising goals to help cover the cost of the expedition program.

Past destinations include Nepal, Peru, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Borneo and Vietnam. These expeditions are offered every two years.

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Outdoor Education

Outdoor Education opportunities exist through our partnership with The Outdoor Education Group. The opportunities allow our students to participate in Australia based expeditions, and challenge and extend themselves through experimental learning in the outdoors. These programs are designed to complete the Adventurous Journey requirements of the Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh awards.