St Hilda’s Prepares for a School Immersion Program
An exciting opportunity has opened up for the students at St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls to take part in a TLG School Immersion Rural Program in 2021.
St Hilda’s Year 9 Community Service Committee members welcome Teach Learn Grow volunteers to their school
Over September and October, volunteers from Teach Learn Grow visited St Hilda’s School in Perth, and presented to a cohort of Year 9 students on the topic of educational disadvantage in regional and remote Australia. The school’s warm reception to TLG and generous community spirit has created an opportunity for a group of St Hilda’s high school students to travel to rural Western Australia next year and tutor students at East Kalgoorlie Primary School for a week.
Applications for students to participate in the program were submitted this week at St Hilda’s, with a fantastic outcome of 43 applicants. This result has been the product of much planning between TLG’s CEO Bridget Staude and Community Outreach Officer Ngoc Mai Duong, as well as Sharne Clayton, a teacher and Head of Community Service at St Hilda’s.
Sharne expressed how eager the students are at the prospect of the Rural Program. ‘There is a lot of excitement surrounding the trip,’ she shared. ‘Our girls always embrace new opportunities and the chance to challenge themselves and develop new skills, and of course they love to work with children.’
When asked what sparked the desire for St Hilda’s to participate in the program, Sharne replied, ‘… as we grow our service offerings here at St Hilda’s, we seek opportunities that provide reciprocal learning through prior education and cultural immersion. TLG offers a multi-dimensional program that can be shaped to meet the needs of both our school and the partner school, and provide engaging learning experiences for everyone involved. Providing opportunities beyond school for our students to remain in partnership with TLG can offer familiarity and a sense of belonging as they move into young adulthood.’
Sharne also mentioned how she hopes the experience will be an opportunity of personal growth for the students, and a chance for them to make a positive impact. ‘My hope is that their passion for service only grows from this point on and that the TLG experience and the children they will work with consolidates this for them.’
TLG would like to thank Sharne and all of the staff at St Hilda’s for their help in facilitating the presentations and organising applications for the program. We look forward to continuing working together next year in preparation for the program.