CHAPTER THREE
Learning Journeys
Overseas Residential Programme (ORP)
Vietnam
The Overseas Residential Programme (ORP) is a capstone
programme catered to Secondary 4 Integrated Programme
students that aims to enhance the students’ holistic development
in three aspects: physical, cognitive and emotional-social. The
programme involves students participating in an overseas trip
over a span of about 3 weeks, where they are placed in an unfamiliar
environment so as to undergo a period of self-discovery. There
were 2 concurrent programmes in 2017: ORP – Vietnam and ORP
– Shangri-La that ran from end May to mid June.
Each venue had their own unique programmes. ORP-Vietnam
was a 15-day programme which offered a homestay, service
learning and outdoor experience in Hanoi and Hang Kia. At
Hanoi, the students stayed with students from Vin School where
they managed to experience life like the local Vietnamese,
such as trying many new cuisines. The students were involved
in community engagement projects at Thuy An Rehabilitation
Centre where they learnt to interact with special needs children,
teaching them the English alphabets and learning to make local
handicrafts with the children. At Hang Kia village, they came
together to help a local school refurbish its surrounding wall. They
also learnt how to build their own bamboo rafts for the villagers
to be used for tourism. As part of their outdoor experience, they
trekked from Hang Kia to Cun Pheo village and while it was tiring,
many felt that the experience was educational.
Time for a break
ORP Vietnam 2017
46
ST JOSEPH’S INSTITUTION
Ready to go
Transporting cement for the school wall
Students working on the raft