Immerse & Inspire
A unique month-long residential programme for all Year 10 students, Immerse & Inspire started in 2017. This innovative programme does exactly as its name suggests. Groups of boys – about three from each of the 10 pastoral Houses – come together in Jacobs House to live the boarding experience, with two weeks in the classroom as per usual, one week learning about social entrepreneurship at the Ministry of Awesome in Christchurch’s innovation precinct, and one week in the wilderness completing the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award Adventurous Journey. A series of evening workshops, covering topics such as gratitude and empathy, the value of service and study skills, plus the opportunity to take part in the regular College Boarding Programme activities, top and tail the programme experience. Immerse & Inspire is a fully integrated programme, laying the foundation for the boys to start thinking about the type of men they want to become and giving them the tools they need to manage their lives. Assistant Principal – Boarding and Immerse & Inspire Ben Vink says there is nothing random about the content of the programme, with every aspect of it geared to encourage the boys to learn new skills, be open to different ideas, come to understand their strengths, appreciate their lives and environment, and help them develop a growth mindset. Feedback from the boys and their parents, who have the opportunity to participate in special parent engagement activities while their sons take part in Immerse & Inspire, has been overwhelmingly positive. The boys have enjoyed making new friends from across all Houses and the variety of activities. Parents say Immerse & Inspire has enhanced family relationships, with most appreciating the changes they have seen in their son’s behaviour and attitudes following the programme.
10
Made with FlippingBook Annual report