World stage

Abstract

CONDUCTOR Andy O'Connell can hear the "zing" coming from the Blackburn High School's Senior Stage Band. It's a certain sound, a fire in the belly that he and his 18 young jazz musicians witnessed during their recent tour of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Monterey Jazz Festival.

"Words, or instruction, can never replace experience," O'Connell says. "They have seen the expression on faces as people have played and sat alongside the people they have listened to for years and taken in the history and culture that surrounds this American art form we call jazz.

One winner, Madeline Revell, in year 10 at Wodonga's Catholic College, is on the two-week study tour retracing the footsteps of "the forgotten Anzacs" who fought a valiant rearguard against overwhelming German forces in Greece in 1941.

Going overseas was once a big deal. Now it is an essential part of school for many secondary students, writes Rosie Hoban

CONDUCTOR Andy O'Connell can hear the "zing" coming from the Blackburn High School's Senior Stage Band. It's a certain sound, a fire in the belly that he and his 18 young jazz musicians witnessed during their recent tour of New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and the Monterey Jazz Festival.

He had hoped that they would absorb the passion while workshopping with some of the world's jazz icons, including the Mingus Big Band and players from Harry Connick Jr's band -- and they did.

"Words, or instruction, can never replace experience," O'Connell says. "They have seen the expression on faces as people have played and sat alongside the people they have listened to for years and taken in the history and culture that surrounds this American art form we call jazz.

"They have seen how real all this is and it is no longer a faraway fantasy that they hear on a recording."

Teachers and parents at state, Catholic and private schools alike echo O'Connell's enthusiasm for exposing students to a culture or experience different from their own.

Students are now part of a vibrant global community. They access information through the internet, can talk via email to students around the world, identify cultural landmarks on Google Earth, send a message in any language with a little help from a computer program and, if they are lucky, visit a country relevant to their curriculum.

It's an idea the State Government is also pushing with the recent announcement of a $400,000 pilot program to fund more than 80 year 9 and 10 students to study overseas.

Programs will be offered to one metropolitan and three rural regions, with students to study in California, Malaysia, China, Japan and Germany for two weeks to six months.

Most costs, including airfare and accommodation, will be met by the government.

As well the government offers 10 students the chance to retrace the Anzac story through the annual Victorian Spirit of Anzac essay competition.

One winner, Madeline Revell, in year 10 at Wodonga's Catholic College, is on the two-week study tour retracing the footsteps of "the forgotten Anzacs" who fought a valiant rearguard against overwhelming German forces in Greece in 1941.

"Once I started doing the research for this essay the story came to life, but it will be more real once we see the country where they fought," says Madeline, who has never travelled outside Australia.

Christine Carolan, a parent who helped establish a Chinese Exchange Committee at Collingwood College, says visits to other countries are enormously beneficial to students and the whole school community.

Collingwood has an exchange with Suzhou Middle School in China and a group of students goes every second year for about three weeks. Every alternate year, a group of Suzhou students stay with Collingwood College families.

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Preparation takes place over 15 lunchtime meetings with sessions on team-building and gift-making for host families.

Students also learn how to make a film that is shown on their return and open days.

"Living with a Chinese family and going to school with my host each morning was pretty intense. It's something we always do, but this was in a different culture," says Tim Dunn who went to China as a year-9 student in 2006 and later won an Australia China Council Exchange scholarship.

Santa Maria College principal Kath Heagney says immersion into a country's culture, language and food is one of the great "learning opportunities".

Girls who attend her school in Northcote have the chance to go to Japan and Italy in alternating years.

The Japan trip takes girls back to the social justice heart of the Catholic school's founders, the Good Samaritan Sisters. After the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki in August 1945, the sisters established Seiwa College near Nagasaki, which the 25 girls visit during their two-week tour.

"The Japan study tour really gives the girls an insight into the values of the sisters who began this school," Heagney says.

"And many of our girls' families have come from Italy, so the trip to that country brings to life part of their heritage."

Most international travel is offered to students in years 10, 11 and 12. Students apply and each school has its criteria for inclusion, usually depending on performance in a relevant subject.

Most study tours are optional and cost $4000-$5000. At Collingwood College, the committee raises about $10,000 throughout the year and provides part or whole funding to students who cannot afford to go.

Blackburn students received $16,000 towards the trip from the Rotary Club of Hawthorn.