Year 9 Kakadu Program

An immersive outdoor learning experience for students

Cultural immersion and outdoor education are core to a Caulfield Grammar education.

Our Year 9 Kakadu Program is a residential, experiential learning program delivered across Kakadu, Katherine and Darwin. It provides young people with structured educational, cultural and personal development experiences, supported by teaching staff, coaches, outdoor education personnel and trainees.

Students learn first-hand about living in a remote community from the local people – cultural exchanges include Indigenous languages, arts and crafts, and ways of living and surviving on Country.

This unique 24-day program provides students with a variety of environments and settings to take responsibility for their own learning and self-management.

Students have a unique opportunity to experience contrasts – between ancient and modern approaches to land usage, ownership, governance and restoration – and explore the stories, culture, histories and peoples within a range of communities in the Northern Territory.

Mike Gregory

Vice Principal, Student Experience
Sally Kelly

Head of Kakadu Program

Meet the Leadership Team

Cultural Immersion

The program provides students with a variety of environments and settings to take responsibility for their own learning and self-management. Students have a unique opportunity to experience contrasts between ancient and modern approaches to land usage, ownership, governance and restoration, and explore the stories, culture, histories and peoples in the Northern Territory.

Learning, Reflection & Inspiration

Each student sets in motion a process of learning, reflection and inspiration about themselves and others. This process continues long after they return to familiar ground, and has five key phases: Preparation & Packing, Community & Connection, Outdoor Education, Discovery & Expedition and Sharing & Reflection.

Cultural Engagement

Students are immersed in local communities, learning first-hand about living in a remote community and learning from the local people. Cultural exchanges include learning about Indigenous languages, arts and crafts, and ways of living and surviving on country.

Community & Collaboration

Students collaborate with a variety of people, both staff and students, in a range of different groups. This collaboration develops camaraderie, connection and a strong sense of community.

Student-driven Inquiry

Students take ownership to engage with content and concepts through an inquiry lens. Students bring their own personal interests and inquiries to the learning as they develop a deeper understanding of life in Australia’s ‘Top End’ including Indigenous heritage, culture, environment, history and language.

Service Learning

Caulfield Grammar School partners with several groups based in Jabiru and surrounds, to learn with and from each other. Our partnerships are two-way, and each student plays a role in building relationships within the communities visited.

Reflection

Reflection is a powerful learning tool that acts as a vehicle for students to learn more about themselves and the world around them. Daily opportunities for reflection are provided through a personal journal, learning activities, discussion, feedback and peer or self-evaluations.

Action

Grounded in their new learning experiences, Caulfield Grammar School students are provoked to take meaningful action in their own worlds. Action from learning can include changing personal habits or mindset, challenging misconceptions, initiating change in local communities or sharing learning beyond their immediate school environment.