Immersions, Study Tours and Travel Experiences

At St Columba’s College, learning extends well beyond the classroom. Throughout their secondary schooling, students are offered a range of enriching immersions, study tours and experiences designed to broaden their horizons, encourage curiosity and help them better understand their place in the world.

Whether navigating a new environment, experiencing another culture, connecting with First Nations communities, putting language skills into practice or contributing to communities beyond their own, these opportunities encourage students to become confident, compassionate and globally minded young people.

Our experiences vary from year to year and are offered to students at different stages of their learning journey.

Snow Trip

Set against the spectacular alpine environment of Mount Hotham, the three-day Snow Trip gives students the opportunity to experience the mountains, try a new sport and challenge themselves in an environment quite different from everyday life.

For some students, it may be their first experience of snow or alpine activities. Alongside developing new skills, the trip encourages independence, resilience, teamwork and a willingness to step outside their comfort zone.

Cape York Indigenous Immersion Experience

The Cape York Indigenous Immersion Experience provides middle and senior students with an opportunity to travel to remote First Nations homelands in partnership with Red Earth.

Students spend time connecting with Traditional Owners and learning directly from First Nations people about culture, Country, community and history.

The experience encourages students to listen, learn and build a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. Through genuine connection and shared experience, students return with a greater appreciation of the world around them and the importance of respectful relationships, reconciliation and caring for Country.

Language Study Tours

Language comes alive when it is experienced beyond a textbook. Students studying Japanese, Italian and French may have opportunities to participate in international study tours, immersing themselves in the language, culture, traditions and history of the countries they have been learning about at school.

Travelling alongside their peers and teachers allows students to strengthen their language skills in authentic settings, experience everyday life in another culture and develop confidence, independence and intercultural understanding.

Eligibility and year-level requirements vary depending on the tour, with students generally undertaking an application and selection process before participating.

Shin-Ai Exchange Program

St Columba’s College has enjoyed a longstanding sister-school relationship with Shin-ai Girls High School in Kumamoto, Japan.

Our connection with Shin-ai creates further opportunities for cultural exchange, friendship and language learning. When visiting students from Shin-ai are hosted by St Columba’s families, students have the opportunity to develop meaningful friendships and gain a deeper understanding of Japanese life and culture.

These exchanges complement the College’s Japanese language program and provide students with an authentic connection to the people, language and traditions they study.

Space Camp

Students have the opportunity to participate in the renowned Space Camp at NASA, alongside students from our sister school, Catholic Ladies’ College Eltham.

This immersive experience takes learning beyond the classroom, giving students hands-on opportunities to explore science, technology, engineering and space exploration in one of the world’s most iconic learning environments.

Through simulated space missions, engineering challenges and collaborative activities, students experience elements of astronaut training while developing their problem-solving, critical thinking, communication and teamwork skills.

Space Camp offers an extraordinary opportunity for students to deepen their interest in STEM, discover potential future pathways and challenge themselves through new experiences alongside their peers.

Bahay Tuluyan Immersion Experience

Our Bahay Tuluyan Immersion Experience reflects the College’s commitment to social justice, service and learning through genuine human connection.

St Columba’s College partners with Bahay Tuluyan, a non-government organisation in the Philippines working to protect and uphold the rights of children and young people.

Senior students participating in the immersion have the opportunity to learn about the realities faced by communities in the Philippines, contribute to community-based activities and develop a deeper understanding of issues relating to poverty, justice and human dignity.

The experience is supported by ongoing awareness and fundraising activities within the College community, helping students recognise that service is not simply something undertaken while travelling, but an ongoing commitment to standing alongside others.

Each immersion, tour and experience is different, but they share a common purpose: to help students discover more about themselves, others and the world.

Students are challenged to be curious, courageous and open-minded; to form new relationships; to learn from perspectives different from their own; and to recognise the responsibility that comes with being part of a global community.

These experiences are an important part of the rich learning opportunities available at St Columba’s College, supporting students to grow into informed, compassionate and capable global citizens.