International opportunities
The Hutchins School community is committed to being internationally-minded by understanding and embracing diversity in all its forms, and by respecting and celebrating this diversity in order to foster a peaceful, just and sustainable world. Hutchins has established links with schools worldwide and continues to explore new opportunities for cultural immersion through formal reciprocal exchanges, specific academic extension programs and student leadership experiences.
Reciprocal exchange program
Hutchins has established exchange partnerships with schools worldwide. Ranging from two to five weeks, reciprocal exchanges usually involve one or two students travelling unaccompanied to another school to participate in the exchange arranged and facilitated by Hutchins, the host school and exchange families.
Each reciprocal exchange presents unique educational opportunities and cross-cultural experiences. Living in the boarding house of another school or with a family whose son attends that school gives Hutchins students a chance to experience life as ‘a local’ in a foreign country; a very different experience from visiting a country as a tourist. Hutchins exchange students quickly adopt a new way of life and have proven to gain a wealth of new experiences and life skills.
We consider Year 10 and Year 11 to be the ideal time for an international reciprocal exchange to occur; however, from time to time it may also be appropriate for Year 8 and 9 students to undertake a domestic or Trans-Tasman exchange. The majority of our international exchanges occur during Hutchins school holidays and in most cases, after Term 4 exams.
Some of our current exchange partner schools are:
- The Southport School, Queensland
- St Pauls’ Co-Educational College, Hong Kong
- Keystone Academy, China
- Linden Hall, Japan
- Woodridge College and Preparatory School, South Africa
- Landheim Ammersee, Germany
- Paradis International College, Romania
- Montgomery Bell Academy, USA
- Liceo Foscarini, Italy
Round Square Student Conferences
Each year, students from Round Square schools have the opportunity to take part in age-appropriate local and global conferences that bring them together with peers from different countries to share perspectives, debate topical issues, forge friendships, support local communities and develop international understanding. There are different conferences on offer, and these opportunities are promoted to students in Middle School and Senior School as part of our Round Square programs.
Some of the recent conferences Hutchins students attended:
- Student Conference on Sustainability, Launceston (Year 5/6)
- Student Conference on Democracy, Germany (Year 8/9)
- Model United Nations Conference, Hong Kong (Year 10–12)
- International Student Science Conference, India (Year 10)
- Round Square Inspiring Voices Conference, UK (Year 10–12)
Study Tours
Students in Middle School and Senior School have the opportunity to participate in a range of academic, co-curricular and recreational tours. Recent and upcoming tours include da Vinci Decathlon tour to Italy, language tour to China, cultural and STEM tour to Singapore, ski tour to New Zealand, and service learning tour to Cambodia. Participating on a study tour with fellow Hutchins students enhances students’ social skills and inter-cultural competences, while adding a global lens to their holistic learning beyond the classroom walls.
Virtual Exchange - Zoom around the World with Round Square Postcards
To keep students connected across the global community, each week, a Round Square school somewhere in the world takes its turn to send out a postcard invitation to the network for students to join a 60 or 90 minute Zoom call on a topic of their choice.
The postcards usually bring together between 50 and 150 students from up to 30 schools and are tailored for a specific age group (11-13 or 13-15 or 16-18) each time. They combine informal chat with formal presentation, Q&A, debate, and discussion in baraza breakout groups, games and quizzes. Topics have included An Aussie Backyard Adventure, Sharing Acts of Kindness, Welcome to Tokyo, The Perils of Fake News, Behind the Scenes in England, Finding Adventure and Welcome to India, First Nations Peoples around the World and Global History Labs.
Whilst not every student is able to participate in physical exchanges, all Hutchins students are encouraged to take part in this virtual exchange opportunity to ‘think globally, act locally’.
Gap exchanges
Gap exchanges are for students who have finished Year 12 and who are deferring university entrance by 12 months to experience life at another school. Please contact the Career Education and Vocational Learning Officer, Mr Paul Bonnitcha for information regarding Gap exchanges.
Contact
Mr Erik Marr
Global Learning Co-ordinator