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Everything you need to know about upcoming Immersions for 2024

Immersions Opportunities 2024

• Timor-Leste – Year 11
• Red Earth, Cape York – Years 10 & 11
• Fiji – Years 10 & 11
• EREA Let’s Talk Indigenous Immersion – Years 10 & 11
• Cambodia – Years 10 & 11

Timor-Leste – Year 11

Dates: Immersion 1: departs 28 June 2024 and returns 6 July 2024 (TBC).

Cost: $5,100 approx (TBC due to USD exchange rates and flights).

Dates: Immersion 2: departs 26 September 2024 (TBA) and returns 4 October 2024 (TBA).

Cost: $5,100 approx (TBC due to USD exchange rates and flights).

Hugh McSweeney, Liam Andrews and Leo Shanahan on the 2019 Timor-Leste Immersion

Railaco Community Program

May include;

• Visits to Edmund Rice/Mary MacKillop supported projects
• Activities with local school
• Sport activities
• Sunday mass
• Walks through community farms
• Meeting with community leaders
• Mt Ramelau – Translating to ‘Grandfather of all’ is a sacred mountain in the heart of Timor-Leste. The group will hike to the summit for sunrise, with views from above the clouds across the entire nation. This is a 5 hr round trip requiring a moderate fitness level. This is a very special and spiritual experience.
• In Maubisse and Alieu groups will visit various projects including hospitality training centres, agricultural projects, and cultural sites.
• Dili City Tour
• Atauro Island – Boat trip to Atauro Island (2hrs each way) with water taxi service Atauro Island is home to the most biodiverse coral reefs in the world and a global hotspot for whales and dolphins. On Atauro Island we will meet with local environmental groups and learn about marine conservation and understand how Atauro plays an important role in Timor-Leste’s sustainable development plan, as it has untapped tourism potential which can transform isolated communities into prosperous eco-tourism destinations. Students will participate in a guided snorkelling activity.

Timor-Leste tour 2015

Red Earth, Cape York Immersion – Years 10 & 11

Dates: June/July holidays 2024
Cost: $4,500

Places to be visited:

• Cairns
• Loggy Crossing
• Maaramaka
• Great Barrier Reef

Activities including:

• Welcome to Country
• Speaking with elders
• Making artefacts
• Helping at the schools
• Building traditional shelters for camping on country
• Bush tucker
• Swimming hole
• Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef
• Reflections

Please take a look at our Social Justice Program news item about Red Earth in 2019.

Fiji Immersion – Year 10 & 11

Dates: departs 26 September 2024 (TBC) and returns 3 October 2024 (TBC).
Cost: $3,000 approx (TBC due to exchange rates and flights).

Arrive Nadi, travel by bus to the Sigatoka highlands.

Working and living in the surrounding villages and at Navosa Central school where we will be teaching and interacting with the students.
A capital works project will be completed to assist the villagers.
Markets and local cultural activities.
All food and accommodation included whilst in the hills of Navosa and a variety of local cultural experiences will be undertaken.
After 5 days the group will return to Denarau and stay at the Coral Coast for snorkelling and half-day jet boat ride with Sigatoka river safaris before returning to Australia.

EREA Indigenous Immersion – Central Western New South Wales – Years 10 & 11

Dates: departs 26 September 2024 and returns 3 October 2024.
Cost: $3,800 (TBC).

Bush Food Education

This partnership offering between the Edmund Rice Centre, Edmund Rice Education Australia and the Aboriginal communities of North-West NSW will appeal to personnel who are interested in supporting the educational achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people and furthering reconciliation in Australia. It also provides an opportunity for EREA staff to reflect upon the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy in light of this experience.

Modelled on the Let’s Talk program developed in 1997 during the Irish Peace Process, the focus issues of peace, identity, human rights, socio-economic issues and reconciliation shape the experience. With a journey integrating dialogue with locals and elders in visited communities, and engagement with places of significance to the Aboriginal people of north-west NSW, the program facilitators will ensure all participants are guided and supported through the immersion. For many in the past this has proven to be an inspirational experience.

Proposed Itinerary:

• Moree Dubbo
• Brewarrina Lightning Ridge
• Goodooga Myall Creek
• Bingara

Activities include:

• Myall Creek Massacre site
• Freedom Writer’s journey – Charlie Perkins
• Bush Medicines
• Aboriginal cultural museum
• Working with students at Goodooga Primary school
• Cultural ceremonies and making of artefacts
• On country experiences
• Brewarrina fish traps – Carbon dated older than the Pyramids
• Reflection opportunities.

Cambodia Immersion – Years 10 & 11

Dates: departs June holidays 2024 and returns July 2024 (TBC).

Cost: $5,000 approx (TBC due to USD exchange rates and flights).

Next Steps for all immersions

Expression of Interest

Please complete the by Monday, 21 November, 2022 if you are interested in having your son attend one of these immersions.
Interviews will occur over the coming two weeks and payment plans will be available over the coming months.

Interviews

Every student who completes an expression of interest form will be interviewed over the coming 2 weeks.
PLEASE NOTE: Year 10 interviews will predominantly take place after the Year 10 Reflection day before the Year 10 Mass to minimise disruption to their Service week placements. School behaviour records / detentions etc will be reviewed and Heads of House recommendations for all students will be required.

Passports

Everyone participating in Timor Leste and Fiji Immersions must bring in a photocopy of your passport by Tuesday, 29 November.

If you DO NOT have a passport you need to get one as soon as possible and send an email to me with your EXACT NAME that will be shown on your Passport and your date of Birth.
Eg. Michael James Mansergh 12 January 2002
Correct names are needed to purchase air tickets.

Payment Plans

Immersion specific plans will be given by your Immersion leaders
Payments are spread out over the next 6 to 8 months.
$1000 deposit is required once your son’s position on the Immersion is confirmed.

The first deposit for every immersion is due by Friday, 9 December.
We need to purchase our airline tickets as soon as possible to avoid changing $$ prices.

Formation Nights

Two formation nights will be held in 2023, dates to be confirmed.
There will also be a June and September pre-departure information evenings for parents and students as well as return dinners and debrief presentations.

Any Questions?

Any enquiries please email Ms Suzanne Walsh – Director of Mission & Identity swalsh@waverley.nsw.edu.au