First-hand experiences are the best teachers. This principle is the basis of Teach Learn Grow’s School Immersion Program with All Saints’ College, where high school students from Perth are given the opportunity to visit some of the most remote communities in Western Australia to engage and educate primary school students through one-to-one tutoring. These Rural Programs are self-funded by students and provide participants a unique opportunity to learn about the education gap between students in urban and rural or remote Australian communities, while having fun in the classroom and fostering friendships and a love-of-learning. Former All Saints’ students Eleanor, Grace and Niamh have shared their stories and take aways from their experiences with TLG.

All Saints’ College graduate Eleanor Crowhurst participated in two of TLG’s Rural Programs in June of 2018 and 2019 through her school. ‘On my first trip I went to a Remote Community Primary School in Muludja; there were around 15 students in attendance each day from Kindy to Year 7,’ she explained. ‘On my second trip I went to Fitzroy Crossing District High School, which had students spanning from Kindergarten to Year 12. Both trips were equally amazing and as unique as each other, and I found throughout the week that the one-on-one progress made everyone in the classroom happy.’ She recalled one stand-out example of why she loved the program so much. ‘I remember working with a student on her times tables and she kept saying, “I’m never going to get the 9’s, they’re too hard.” I then talked her through a technique I used when I was younger and after a couple of tries, she picked it up. Seeing the smile on her face really did make both of us feel successful.’

When asked what motivated her to join the program in high school, she replied, ‘my older brother went on one of the first TLG trips with the school and said he absolutely loved it, and shared amazing stories and photos, which I believe was a big motivator for me to join. I had also been to India about 6 months before my first TLG trip, where I had tutored in similar age groups and areas. I found this trip amazing and I really enjoyed the tutoring aspect, which is why I jumped at the chance of the TLG program.’

Eleanor also shared the unique experiences she had with the local community while in Fitzroy Crossing. ‘I was able to tutor across a wide variety of different subjects, and I was able to sit in on some very special programs such as Indigenous education. This particular class is when the students have elders join the classroom and educate the students in their regional language and culture - I believe this was one of the most insightful and amazing experiences throughout those weeks.’

Another All Saints’ graduate, Grace Hoes, also shared her enthusiasm for the program she participated in during 2019, where she and 15 others had the opportunity to tutor at Bayulu Remote Community School, 10km South of Fitzroy Crossing. ‘I was lucky enough to be assigned to the Kindergarten and Pre-Primary class, and predominantly spent my week singing, dancing, painting, building, reading and giving countless numbers of piggybacks. The focus in the classroom was encouraging school attendance through fostering a love of learning whilst also developing basic literacy and numeracy skills… The energy, the excitement and the pure love for school amongst our students was infectious, and I felt so privileged to be able to spend time with them and work alongside the phenomenal teachers.’

Grace also expressed what an amazing opportunity it was for herself and her peers to visit the community during NAIDOC Week, where she says they ‘had the honour to join them on a bush excursion to the local billabong and a celebratory cook-up at the primary school that welcomed the entire community to potato salad and roast kangaroo tail.’ The sense of family and community she saw in Bayulu made a lasting impact on her. ‘I saw first-hand their relationship with the land, with their language, with their history and traditions, and with each other. The Community that is so religiously spoken of is real, and more powerful than any I have seen in the world, and it was incredibly striking to see the influence of the entire Bayulu population on the education and lives of the younger generations.’

Niamh Doherty participated in TLG’s School Immersion Program with All Saints’ College in 2016 and 2017. She said she ‘saw it as a great opportunity to go out to rural WA and have a new experience and mentor a diverse group of students… I went to Bayulu both times and absolutely loved every minute of it. The school was quite small, the students were amazing, and the scenery was incredible.’

Her involvement with the All Saints’ program evidently had a significant impact on her, as this summer will be Niamh’s fifth Rural Program since graduating high school. Of the program she spoke, ‘it was a great insight to the program and definitely influenced my decision to apply for the Rural Program in university… I cannot recommend it enough! It is a brilliant experience and something I will always remember.’

Niamh and Grace are also both current members of TLG’s volunteer executive team. When asked if their involvement with TLG through All Saints’ College influenced their decision to join the team, Grace replied, ‘I was inspired and in awe of the work that TLG does to facilitate improvements in the education gap and celebrate our Indigenous population. I wanted to reconnect with TLG following my graduation and be a bigger part of an institution that works tirelessly and passionately for a better future for all.’

Grace added, ‘it also exposed us to a community of people bound as family, regardless of bloodline. The week was emotionally exhilarating and exhausting and pushed all of us beyond our boundaries. In many ways, it reminded us of what it meant to be human, and to be Australian… I am so thankful, to this day, for the students of Bayulu and the entire Bayulu community for embracing us into their lives and allowing us to experience even a small portion of their world; they taught us so much more than we could have possibly ever taught them.’

TLG currently runs a similar program with Swan Christian College, and hopes to expand their School Immersion Program to include more high schools in the future. If your school is looking to get involved with TLG, contact us here.