- Sponsored Content
Experiential learning in Australia
Whilst ‘heading to the Bush’ is not uncommon in Australia, Singaporean schools have not yet embraced the benefits that an extended residential wilderness programme in Australia offers. By providing learning and experiential opportunities in a safe environment, young people develop the levels of emotional resilience to be effective agents of their own path. Tanglin’s Highlands Programme based at its new Gippsland campus, will be a very different experiential learning experience to the co-curricular trips and expeditions that students at international schools in Singapore typically go on.
A rich history of holistic learning
The importance of experiential learning can be found in Tanglin’s rich history. In 1934, Tanglin’s founder, Miss Griffiths Jones, opened a boarding school in the Malaysian Highlands which offered a healthy, safe, and refreshing new learning environment for her pupils.
Today, sitting in the bush on the traditional territory of the Gunakurnai people, Tanglin students will gain a new perspective from their learning environment, as they spend time finding out more about the history and geography of the area from both Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives.
The outdoor programme fosters teamwork, confidence, resilience and grit
A brand new Experiential Learning Programme for Year 9s
Tanglin understands that at this age, it’s important to not just develop academic knowledge but also essential life skills, confidence in learning, and a sense of belonging to a larger community.
The new five week Highlands Programme has been designed to encompass these aims and students will experience a healthy mix of learning both in and outside the classroom. Studies will be tailored to maximise experiences in the natural environment and broaden perspectives. So, students will be able to learn more about Gippsland’s rich mining and maritime history and the region’s abundant flora and fauna. The rural nature of the programme will also offer plenty of fieldwork opportunities in the studies of Biology and Geography. Disconnected from devices, students’ timetables will feature daily fitness,
outdoor expeditions, and of course free time to simply enjoy their natural surroundings. The culmination of The Highlands Programme will be a Rite of Passage experience, where students will be tested to apply all the skills they have acquired during their transformative 5 weeks of independent living. Camaraderie, resilience, and initiative will have been established amongst the group of Year 9’s, and hopefully, they will leave from their time at Tanglin Gippsland with a lasting sense of adventure too.
Returning to Singapore students can draw on their experiences, with memories of starry nights, long hikes and exploring in the bush with their friends, as they continue their adolescent journey and prepare for the next stages of their education.
Preparing students for the future
In creating the Highlands Programme, Tanglin has reflected on its past and used it to create a contemporary new learning experience for current and future students. This ambitious endeavour demonstrates Tanglin’s ongoing commitment to providing a holistic education that values experiences outside of the classroom to help better prepare students for the wider world.
Learn more about Tanglin’s new Highlands Programme at www.tts.edu.sg
95 Portsdown Road, 139299
www.tts.edu.sg
www.facebook.com/TanglinTrustSchool
instagram/tanglintrust
