Exchange programs between schools in Australia and Solomon Islands

In 2025, Marist College Canberra and Canberra Girls Grammar School, from Australia (Star of the Sea Province), will send students on an immersion to the Solomon Islands. It’s hoped this will be the first of many student immersions which will continue the strong relationship between the two countries. A proposal still being discussed is an exchange program for teachers and students of both countries.

As part of this exchange project, the Marist College Canberra launched its first Staff Immersion to the Solomon Islands from 30 September to 9 October 2024. Twelve teachers joined the immersion, including eight from Marist College Canberra, three from Canberra Girls Grammar School and one from Sacred Heart College Adelaide. The group spent ten days visiting schools they helped to build and interact with in Honiara and Guadalcanal. These include St Joseph’s Catholic Secondary School, Mercy School at Burn’s Creek, Laumanasa Community and Rural Training Centre, Divit Training Centre at Visale, the Christian Care Centre at Tenaru and Amoana Christian Academy, in Rifle Range, West Honiara.

During the immersion the teachers spent time with students in classrooms and actively contributing to teaching and learning in Science, English, Film Studies, Geography, Physical Education, Agriculture and Art.

The immersion was supported by the Solomon Islands High Commission in Canberra, Australia, and is part of an ongoing relationship between the Australian Marist Solidarity and the ‘Make A Mark Australia’ (MAMA) charity with some schools in Honiara, Guadalcanal and Santa Ysabel.

Acting Headmaster of Marist College Canberra, Mr Liam Stakelum, was also very supportive of the visit and looked forward to an experience his students and the school will always cherish. “Marist College Canberra is proud to collaborate with Australian Marist Solidarity, MAMA and partner schools through its student and staff immersion programs in the Solomon Islands. We are dedicated to fostering lasting, meaningful relationships with our partners in the Marist Star of the Sea Province. We deeply appreciate the support of the Solomon Islands High Commission. Know that it is an experience that we cherish as a school community,” Mr Stakelum said.

Read the full article, written by  Nathan Ahearne (Star of the Sea Province) part of the “Extended Secretariat of Laity”.