Immersion program at International Grammar School builds connection to Country

For more than a decade, International Grammar School students have been travelling to some of the most remote communities in Australia through the Red Earth Immersion Program, building connections with Traditional Owners and learning through hands-on experiences on Country.

The partnership began in 2014, when the first group of Year 9 to 11 students travelled to Central Australia and the APY Lands. Students entered remote communities as guests, working alongside Traditional Owners and contributing to projects that mattered to the community.

Twelve years on, that principle remains at the heart of the program. Each year, students step away from the pace and distractions of city life to listen, learn and contribute. They are welcomed onto Country through cultural ceremonies, work alongside community hosts and develop a deeper understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and connections to Country.

In July this year, students spent nine nights travelling through Central Australia and the APY Lands. Their days combined community projects with cultural learning and time to reflect on their experiences.

Students helped repair and reinforce a community shed, installed solar lights and repaired windbreaks. They also learnt practical cultural skills, including making and painting clap sticks, preparing damper and kangaroo tail, and searching for maku (witchetty grubs) and tjupi (honey ants).

Students heard stories from Traditional Owners, learnt words and cultural practices in Luritja and Pintupi, explored the significance of Tjukurpa and experienced Dadirri, a practice of deep listening and stillness. A visit to a local school provided further insight into the importance of preserving language and culture.

The experience asks students to adapt to unfamiliar surroundings, work collaboratively and take responsibility for themselves and others. Without the routines and conveniences of home, everyday tasks such as cooking, setting up camp and working on community projects become opportunities to develop independence, resilience and leadership.

For IGS, Red Earth is part of a broader commitment to embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across the School. What began as a single immersion has grown alongside learning experiences at Barangaroo, Wukalina and Goodooga, partnerships with Traditional Owners and First Nations perspectives within the curriculum.

Red Earth offers a glimpse into an IGS education that encourages students to engage with the world beyond the classroom, develop an understanding of different perspectives and discover their capacity to contribute.