2025 – 2026
A suite of optional experiences and opportunities, enabling global perspectives and service of others.
- Arbella
Principal’s Forward
The Exceptional Student Futures pillar of our 2024 – 2028 Strategic Plan emphasises the importance of expanding extension and enrichment opportunities for our students, by developing global perspectives, and supporting international service work in disadvantaged communities.
At College, we are committed to providing opportunities for international and local cultural engagement, so that our graduates arrive into a world they are comfortable in and knowledgeable about.
This document outlines the optional cocurricular programs we will offer over 2025 and 2026. While the details such as specific dates are to be confirmed for the later programs, we provide them all together now so that families can plan and make decisions
Above: Europe Yale Model UN 2023 participants, read about students excelling globally on page 10.
about if one of these opportunities might be the right one for each student to set them up to lead in the world.
Providing an early overview is also designed to assist students in planning for and working towards the cost of a trip they might attend.
To allow as many students as possible to benefit from the opportunities the College Foundation and the Old Collegians’ Association are generously supporting bursaries to support attendance.
Michael Horne Principal
China Language and Cultural Tour
A two-week language and cultural tour in the Term One holiday break, visiting the highlights of ancient and modern China. In-school experiences at Gaoyou Middle School, Shanshui Foreign Languages School BFSU and Liangxiang No.2 Middle School.
Visit the City God Temple of Shanghai, Jade Buddha Temple and Zhujiajiao Water Town. Walk around the Bund to get the best view of Shanghai by night. Go up to the top of Shanghai Tower. Students experience the two sides of Shanghai, traditional and modern.
Visit Chengdu. Founded by the Kingdom of Shu in 4th century BC. It’s called the most livable city in China. Visit Wenshu Temple, and the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Jinli.
Explore KuanZhai Alley, which is a newly renovated Qing dynasty district, made up of three parallel lanes lined with traditional Chinese architecture.
Proposed dates:
3 – 17 April 2025
Open to students:
Year 9 to 12 in 2025
Indicative price: ~$5000
Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding
Chengdu
Shanghai Tower
Zhujiajiao Water Town
City God Temple of Shanghai
KuanZhai Alley
Central Australia Cultural Immersion
and Service Trip
This eight-day program will broaden students’ appreciation of the Australian natural environment and indigenous connection to country and community.
The program will also foster opportunity for personal challenge and growth, sleeping in swaps under the stars in basic camps.
Students will arrive in Alice Springs, visiting the Bird Park and Earth Sanctuary, before heading into Watarrka country around King's Canyon.
They will spend three or four days working in and for the Lilla community, before travelling on to Yulara to experience Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
Proposed dates: July 2025
Open to students: Year 10 in 2025
Indicative price: ~$2900
New Zealand Cricket Tour
A ten-day sporting tour to New Zealand, featuring four cricket matches against local teams. Students will visit highlights of New Zealand’s north island including a guided tour of Eden Park stadium, climbing the Sky Tower, visiting the Hobbiton Movie Set, riding the Skyline Gondola, and an authentic Mitai Maori Cultural Experience and Hangi dinner.
These experiences will be interspersed with four one-day matches against local and school cricket teams. The tour will be comprised of one Girls’ XI and one Boys’ XI, with students selected after a try-out process.
Proposed dates: ~ 29 November –9 December 2025
Open
to
students: Year 9 to 12 in 2025
Selected through application and tryout process.
Indicative price: ~$4000
Sri Lanka Service and Trekking Tour
Combining the physical challenge climbing Adams Peak with humanitarian service at a local community school and conservation service at an Elephant Sanctuary, this 10-12 day program will introduce students to the fabulous Sri Lankan landscape, culture and people. The program will require input and organisation from the travelling group, with students taking responsibility for some aspects of transport, budgeting, and itinerary. Incorporating visits to the Elephant Orphanage, a visit to Sigira Fortress, Dambulla cultural caves and the cities of Galle and Colombo students will find this experiential learning trip an ideal introduction to the highlights of this island paradise.
The service component focuses on visits to Southlands College and work on a community project. College students will work with local students, and contribute to the betterment of the physical surrounds of the school. They will gain hands-on experience and valuable knowledge of Sri Lanka and the people who live there.
Proposed dates: Early December 2025
Open to students:
Year 10 to 12 in 2025
Indicative price: ~$TBC
European Language, Culture, and Art Tour
A two-week language, culture and art tour in the Term One holiday break, visiting the highlights of Europe, with a focus on France. The program will include language lessons in France, but is open to students not studying French as well.
Proposed date: April 2026
Open to students: Year 10 to 12 in 2026
Indicative price: ~$9500
Model United Nations Trip
Further details to follow on a potential Model UN tour to New Zealand or Europe in 2026. Model UN is not merely an academic exercise. It fosters critical thinking, public speaking and negotiation skills. The tour will also visit highlights of the hosting country.
Read about the students Model UN experiences on page 10.
Proposed date: TBC 2026
NZ Netball and Hockey Tour
A ten-day sporting tour to New Zealand, featuring four netball and hockey matches against local teams. Students will see New Zealand’s highlights, including geographical, cultural and sporting locations.
Proposed date: June / July 2026
Open to students: Year 9 to 12 in 2026
Selected through application and tryout process.
Indicative price: ~$4000 - $5000
Year 10 Central Australia Trip
This eight-day program will broaden students’ appreciation of the Australian natural environment and indigenous connection to country and community.
Students will arrive in Alice Springs, visiting the Bird Park and Earth Sanctuary, before heading into Watarrka country around King’s Canyon, then travelling on to Yulara to experience Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
Proposed date: July 2026
Open to students: Year 10 in 2026
Indicative price: ~$2900
World Challenge 2023
Q&A with Fay Harjanto & Arbella Little
From the colourful chaos of Ho Chi Minh City, to hiking in the peace and nature of Vietnam highlands, camping under starry skies, snorkelling in crystal clear waters, taking an overnight train, drifting down the Mekong Delta, navigating the bustling Phnom Penh in blistering heat, to engaging meaningfully with local communities, and so much more…
This World Challenge trip led us away from the comfort of our homes and ordinary lives, into the excitement of new experiences and an endless number of unforgettable memories. Taking in a world so different to our own, we found this trip truly was what its name entailed – a challenge. It was from the challenge that we grew the most – choosing to embrace the discomfort and fully immerse ourselves in the experiences as we soaked up the beautiful landscapes, scenes, people and stories.
Why did you do the World Challenge?
To experience the most amazing environments and be fully immersed in another a culture. The student-led approach to this trip separated it from a school camp experience. It was made clear from the start that it would be what we made it, from saving up and fundraising before we left, to planning each day on the trip as a team. Fay
I thought that being immersed in a completely new environment would be a great opportunity to challenge myself. I wanted to learn about a different culture and history and the events that shaped the countries we visited. Arbella
Highlights
Four-day trek in the Vietnam Highlands After trekking all day, we would sit around the fire at night, learning to enjoy the simple moments and appreciate the lives we were living and gaining perspective on the abundance of our lives waiting for us at home. Fay
What did you gain from the experience?
This experience was life-changing. So many moments have helped me to learn and gain confidence in myself as well as how I see the world around me, through the people we met, the stories they told and being a part of something bigger. Fay
Despite the extensive preparation in the lead-up to the trip, every single day I was amazed by what I learned. I came home with a new perspective on different cultures and history that reminded me of how privileged I am and gave me an awareness of the hardships faced by others in the past and present. Sharing this experience with the group was so much fun and an important part of the learning. Arbella
Community service projects in rural Cambodia I loved spending time with the children at the schools. Despite the language differences we made long-lasting connections and shared parts of our life through teaching each other childhood games. Seeing how the children were so happy warmed my heart and made me so grateful for the comforts I have at home. Arbella
Yale Model Un Trip 2024
Q&A with Grace Dohle, Harry Dorahy and Amelie Hiscock
GRACE
Represented: Denmark Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Issues Committee
Issues debated: ‘The right to food’ and ‘The protection of children and women in conflict zones’
HARRY
Represented: Myanmar Disarmament and International Security Committee
Issues debated: ‘The weaponisation of cyberspace’ and ‘The prevention of illicit arms trafficking’
AMELIE
Represented: Yemen Legal Committee
Issues debated: ‘Ensuring the criminal accountability of UN workers’ and ‘The management of transboundary aquifers’
A group of College students from Years 10, 11 and 12 joined high school students from around the world as delegates at the Yale Model UN Europe XIII Conference held in Brussels over three days. Simulating a real UN conference, students came together to debate challenging issues of global importance and test their skills diplomacy and problem-solving. The College group also visited Ghent in Belgium and London as part of their trip.
Why did you take part in the conference?
I’m interested in activism and protest. And to get out of my comfort zone, especially with public speaking. Grace
I enjoy talking about global issues, politics and geography. Harry
I have a big interest in human rights, law and international relations. Amelie
Highlights
What were the highlights?
One lunchtime, along with four other College students, we went to find lunch with people from Greece who were in our delegation and spent the whole time talking about our lives in Australia and getting to know about their lives in Athens. I loved learning about how different their daily lives are. Grace
What did you gain from the experience?
More confidence in my ability to speak publicly as well as my social and conversational skills. It changed my sense of the world and how different my life on a farm is compared to some of the people I met. Grace
A better understanding of what geopolitics and diplomacy looks like, along with a higher level of debating, report writing and researching skills. Harry
An understanding of how the international legal system and the UN works, and how involved the people of Europe are in world issues. I now know a lot about Yemen and about the lack of legal power the UN actually has on solving some of these issues. I learned about so much that interests me and now have a bit of an idea of what I want my work life to look like. Amelie
Meeting different people from around the globe. I have made connections and friends in places I never could have imagined. Seeing the amazing cities of Brussels, London and Ghent with their beautiful buildings and culture.
Harry
Meeting people from all over the world and getting a feel for how real all these issues are to people closer to them. I was the only one from Australia in my committee and we were the only Australian school there. Amelie
College Community Bursary Support
The Hamilton and Alexandra College demonstrates a commitment to enhancing students’ educational experiences through co-curricular travel opportunities.
Recognising the value of these experiences, the College Foundation and the Old Collegians’ Association have generously established a bursary program to support both international and domestic study experiences.
This financial assistance aims to increase accessibility, ensuring that a broader range of students can participate in these enriching programs.
The bursaries are need and merit based, and will be awarded through a competitive application process.
This initiative underpins the College’s dedication to nurturing a well-rounded education and promoting equal access to valuable learning opportunities for student.
$20,000 in Bursaries
Available annually Paid as tuition fee remission
$6,000 in Bursaries
Available annually Paid as tuition fee remission
QUESTIONS
Should you have specific queries or require clarification on any aspect of the program, please do not hesitate to contact:
Michael Horne admin@hamiltoncollege.vic.edu.au
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
To express your interest in receiving more information about one of these opportunities, click on the button below
SUBMIT
Expression of interest
