Ask any Wesley student about their favourite Wesley moment and chances are they’ll say Katitjin. 2025 marks a true milestone—20 years of Katitjin, one of the most innovative programs for students in Western Australia.

After so many years, we were determined to discover the true impact this transformational program has had on Wesleyans.

Our goal was to measure how students felt before the Katitjin program, how they felt about it immediately afterwards and whether, by Year 12, and beyond, its lessons proved influential in shaping the minds of the participants.

To discover this, we partnered with [YELLOW CAR], an innovative schools-focused research company based in Belgium. They had recently developed a new tool called the Felt Experience Indicator, which measured school experience across five categories—belonging, confidence, gratitude, happiness, and understanding—and were searching for schools across the globe to take part in their pilot research program. Wesley was selected, alongside schools in Los Angeles, Vancouver, The Hague, and Doha.

The Felt Experience Indicator was used at Wesley College to capture insights into the true value of Katitjin on a student’s experience at Wesley.

In many ways, the research confirmed what we already knew. 87% of current students and alumni surveyed said Katitjin had a very positive or positive impact on them. Here’s a snapshot of our findings. You can read more in the Katitjin Insight Report, here.

• The Katitjin Program is a well-regarding and highly anticipated feature in the rich tapestry of a Wesley College education.
• The reputation of the Program fits alongside the school’s commitment to an innovative and holistic education for each one of its students.
• There is very clear alignment across all stakeholders when it comes to articulating the value of the experience.
• Parents are excited that their children have this opportunity.

While there is evidence that the College achieves our goal of developing students who are effective team members, independent learners, and committed to the local community, research revealed that the long-term impact of the program becomes more evident when students have or are close to completing their Wesley journey.

Gratitude for the Katitjin experience is highest in Year 12 and continues to climb after graduation. The impact was summed up by an Old Collegian who participated anonymously in the survey: ‘So many life lessons were taught that still stick with me today. The ideas of serving the community, building the self, and working collaboratively in a team gave me an understanding of the world around us and how we take part in it.’

To read the Katitjin Impact Report, please click here.

More than 600 responses from students, current and past parents and alumni shaped the study. Thank you to those who generously gave their feedback.