This program will take students on a transformative journey through Australia, exploring themes of identity, culture, and connection to land. Through immersive site visits, workshops, and cultural experiences, students engage directly with First Nations perspectives, environmental stewardship, and national identity. By connecting historical context with contemporary issues, this program helps students better understand how communities shape and are shaped by place, history, and responsibility.
What can Indigenous knowledge teach us about sustainability?
Day 1–3: Journey to Australia and Arrival in Sydney
Students begin their journey with an overnight flight across the Pacific, crossing the international date line before arriving in Sydney.
After settling in, the group eases into the experience with time to rest and adjust. Their first cultural experience begins in the Royal Botanic Garden, where students take part in an Aboriginal Heritage Tour. Guided by Indigenous knowledge, they are introduced to native plants, stories, and the deep cultural connections between people and Country.
The day ends with a welcome dinner overlooking the water, offering a first glimpse of Sydney’s iconic harbor.
Day 4: Aboriginal Perspectives and Coastal Connections
Students travel to Kamay Botany Bay, a site of deep historical and cultural significance.
Guided by a member of the local Aboriginal community, they walk along coastal landscapes while learning oral histories and perspectives that reframe early encounters between Indigenous communities and European explorers. This experience encourages students to consider how history is told and whose voices are centered.
Later, at Barangaroo Reserve, students continue exploring Aboriginal culture within an urban context, deepening their understanding of how Indigenous identity and presence continue to shape modern Australia.
Day 5: Ancient Landscapes and City Life
In Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, students explore ancient rock engravings and cultural sites alongside a Traditional Custodian. These landscapes offer a powerful reminder of the longevity and resilience of Aboriginal culture.
In the afternoon, the group travels to Manly Beach before taking a ferry across Sydney Harbour. This iconic journey offers views of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge and provides a moment to reflect on the contrast between natural landscapes and urban development.
Day 6: Wildlife, Architecture, and the Journey to Canberra
Students begin the day at Taronga Zoo with a behind-the-scenes conservation experience, learning about Australia’s unique wildlife and the efforts to protect it.
They then explore the Sydney Opera House, gaining insight into its design, cultural significance, and the stories connected to the land on which it stands.
In the afternoon, the group travels to Canberra, Australia’s capital, where the focus shifts toward governance, national identity, and civic responsibility.
Day 7: Identity, Rights, and Government
At the National Museum of Australia, students engage in interactive programs that explore the relationship between people, land, and sustainability, as well as the history of Indigenous rights movements.
Later, at Parliament House, students gain a deeper understanding of Australia’s political system and hear stories of Indigenous leadership and representation. These experiences help students connect historical struggles for rights with ongoing conversations about equity and inclusion.
Day 8: Indigenous Knowledge and National Storytelling
Students take part in an Indigenous-led tour of the Canberra region, visiting culturally significant sites and learning how land, language, and tradition are interconnected.
They explore how cultural knowledge is preserved and protected, while also examining how Canberra was designed as a capital city that balances natural and built environments.
The day offers time for reflection, as students consider how the themes of the program connect to their own lives and perspectives.
Day 9: Return Journey
After a week of exploration, learning, and connection, students travel back to Sydney and begin their journey home.
They return with new insights into Australia’s history, a deeper appreciation for Indigenous perspectives, and a broader understanding of how identity and place are intertwined.
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