Lorne brings central Australian students to the sea

TWO schools nearly 2,000 kilometres apart have collaborated on a joint project of shared experience that saw students visiting both Lorne and a community near Alice Springs.

Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School teacher Katie Digiorgio and Lorne P-12 College VCAL teachers Cherie Osta and Jace Healey worked on an integrated hands-on program that enabled the students to share their lives, with a focus on showcasing the diversity of their schools and community.

Over a term the Lorne students learnt about Indigenous history, started communication with the school in Santa Teresa (near Alice Springs) and worked hard on fundraising.

Earlier this year, the students from Ltyentye Apurte hosted the Lorne students for a week.

This included experiencing their school day routine, joining in on Aboriginal cultural experiences, participating in the horse program, sharing stories, cooking meals, learning the language, understanding the land and sleeping out under the stars.

In return, the Lorne students fundraised and organised for the Indigenous students to come to them in Lorne earlier this month to experience the ocean and bush for the first time.

The week included activities such as surfing, fishing, a trip to the Live Wire Park, cross-age tutoring, and bushwalking.

“This powerful occasion allowed for all the students to demonstrate leadership skills, experience diversity in culture, create empathy and compassion, demonstrate generosity and kindness, give their time to others and establish new friendships,” Ms Osta said.

“All these traits are incredibly important for personal growth and employability.”

The end of the trip included the Victorian Applied Learning Association (VALA) Safari, with students from both schools showcasing their integrated unit through a short film at the dinner that the Lorne VCAL students organised.

“It was a wonderful way to celebrate the connection,” Ms Osta said.

“The Santa Teresa students were surprised and thrilled that so many teachers had come to see what they had been doing; that they mattered.

“Connections between the students have continued well after the event, thanks to social media. Ideas for the next meeting have already been talked about.”