We often hear our location referred to as the "Noosa bubble"—a slice of paradise where life seems a bit more serene, somewhat removed from the tensions and challenges that might exist elsewhere. While there is absolutely nothing wrong with living in Noosa and its surroundings, the truth is that this idyllic setting isn’t necessarily reflective of the broader, diverse world that awaits our young people. Whether they head off to university, move to a larger city, or work collaboratively with people from around the globe, they’ll need to be able to adapt to diverse environments to succeed.

At St Andrew’s, we’ve been mindful of this reality. Over the last eight years, we’ve been intentional about creating opportunities for our students to expand their thinking, broaden their understanding, and develop skills in cultural intelligence (CQ). This effort is all about equipping them with the awareness, empathy, and abilities they’ll need to work and relate effectively in culturally diverse situations.

Recently, Mr Ivey and I returned from visiting our alumni students who are spending their GAP year working in our partner schools in Scotland. Hearing the stories of their international travels and what they have learned through their experiences was incredibly encouraging. In the coming weeks, some Year 11 students will embark on an exchange to our partner school, Kindai High, in Japan. We also have 18 Year 8 students and 35 Year 10 and 11 students participating in our Global Opportunities (GO) trips to Thailand and Cambodia, where they will partake in authentic and meaningful service learning projects. These experiences are vital for our students, offering them real-world contexts to apply their growing CQ skills.

In addition to these experiences, we have also been training our Secondary students in CQ as part of our personal capacity program. Through our Institute of Learning, we’re also developing an endorsed micro-credential in CQ that will soon be used by schools and organisations worldwide. This isn’t just a course in cultural awareness or appreciation; it’s a comprehensive set of transferable skills, originally researched by Nanyang University in Singapore and further developed by another partner of ours, The Cultural Intelligence Centre, based in the U.S.

Our hope is that, through these opportunities both at school and beyond, St Andrew's students will venture into the world armed with the College values of curiosity, respect, and compassion, fully equipped to navigate a culturally diverse future.

For more information about our global programs and cultural intelligence testing and training, visit the St Andrew's Institute of Learning (SAIL) website here