Planning your stay

A St Jude’s itinerary is flexible with plenty of activities to suit your interests.

A visit during Form 6 graduation week in May is extra special. Guests visiting us in May can attend our one-of-a-kind graduation.

  • Our graduation ceremony is nothing short of spectacular!
  • To experience the full St Jude’s graduation week, we offer visitors an inclusive five-day itinerary covering most of the top ten activities.
  • The week is fun, engaging, social, and memorable.

We offer interactive and informative activities so you learn about the school, Tanzania’s culture and people.

It is ideal to save three days for a visit to St Jude’s, but this can be shorter or longer as time allows.

Selections from our top 10 activities can be made based on your interests and availability.

Tour a St Jude’s school, or three!

You are invited to visit all three campuses during your stay. Meet our students and staff and experience first hand the impact the school has on their lives and that of their family and community.

Learn to cook Tanzanian style

Food is an integral part of culture!
You can learn to prepare some traditional Tanzanian recipes with the help and guidance of our school graduates. To complete the experience, you will savour the goodness of the food you prepare together in a beautiful outdoor dining area.

Enjoy a home visit to a student’s family

A home visit gives first-hand insight into our students’ home lives. Guests have the option to purchase a Home Pack (US$48) as a gift for the family. The pack includes a solar light and necessities such as mosquito nets, rice, sugar, cooking oil, toothpaste, and soap.

Browse St Jude’s Art Gallery

St Jude’s holistic education gives students the opportunity to explore their artistic talents. Our Art Gallery showcases their exceptional works and are available for sale, with the proceeds supporting the Art Program. Student artists receive a commission.

Take a ride on our iconic blue and yellow bus

Joining our students on their journey home on our big yellow school bus is a unique experience. Students share about their day and what they have learned in class. You can also participate in joyful sing-alongs as they are dropped home, one by one.

Meet our Founding Director, Gemma Sisia

Our story is unique and exceptional thanks to our Founder, Gemma Sisia. You’ll have the chance to meet Gemma and hear from her how St Jude’s has grown from just one teacher and three students to now have 1,800 students and three campuses.

Participate in an extracurricular activity

St Jude’s education is BIG on extracurricular activities. From African drumming and traditional dances to football, volleyball and netball, there’s many opportunities to participate and join in with our students as they enjoy these extracurricular activities.

Go back to school – see a class in action

You can also join our classroom and library lessons, where you'll have the chance to  enjoy reading, music and art classes alongside our students. 

Visit a traditional Maasai boma or village

Meet members of an ancient tribe who are still living within their culture, even in today’s modern world. Meet a local Maasai choir, to enjoy their signing and gain insight into the traditions and culture of the Maasai people.

Take part in one of our weekly assemblies

Our school assembly at the end of each school week is a spectacular celebration, and visitors are always welcome to join. Held at the Smith or Sisia Campus, students dance and perform musical acts, offering a unique presentation of Tanzania’s vibrant spirit and rich culture.

Observe how our graduates pay it forward in a visit to a government school

In their final year of secondary school, our Form 6 graduates can opt to do a Community Service Year (CSY) volunteer placement for their first year out of school. This year-long volunteering provides graduates a way of giving back in appreciation for the free education they received at St Jude’s.
As a CSY volunteer, they personify the school’s vision, sharing the knowledge and values they learned at St Jude’s by teaching in local government secondary schools. With a shortage of over 80,000 teachers across government schools in Tanzania, this program supports the government education system and provides an invaluable, unequalled community service in our region.

  • Since 2015, 980+ of our Form 6 graduates have participated in the CSY Program. In this time CSY volunteers have taught almost 24,000 government school students.
  • Some CSY volunteers teach classes of up to 100 students.
  • A visit shows, by contrast, the enormous challenges government school students face in furthering their education.
Get ready to be amazed and learn!