Students from Cumberland High School , on Burramattagal land, are having a ball kicking off conversations about diversity through a leadership program that centres around sport.

Last term saw 19, Year 9 and 10 students participate in the NRL's 'In League in Harmony' program which uses rugby league as a platform to bring students from different cultural backgrounds together to promote respect, inclusion and belonging.

Through a series of workshops delivered in schools, students take part in interactive activities that explore themes such as teamwork, celebrating differences, support and dreams and goals.

For Year 9 student, Kirra H, the experience helped her connect with her classmates and other students who are championing diversity.

“I gained more confidence than I started out with,” Kirra said. “I talked with people from completely different groups and really bonded with them which made me feel a lot more comfortable and able to speak freely.”

During the program, students participate in discussions, group challenges, and leadership activities that encourage them to reflect on their own experiences and learn about the cultures and perspectives of others.

A key component of the program is the Gala Day, where all participating schools come together to celebrate their involvement during the term through cultural performances, games and student-led presentations that showcase the diversity of the school communities involved.

Cumberland High School Student Support Officer, Jemma Laverty, said the program and Gala Day were unique experiences that brought students together to celebrate their culture and have fun.

“It has been awesome to watch a very diverse group of students come together to develop and strengthen their teamwork and leaderships skills” Ms Laverty said. “It has been great to watch students use their own strengthens to encourage others to try something new or an activity [in which] they are not too confident.”

Following the program, students also take on the role of Peace Advocates, where they develop leadership skills and work on small projects within their school communities that promote harmony and inclusion.

With close to three-quarters of the student population at Cumberland High School coming from non-English speaking backgrounds and 57 different languages, programs like this are embedding practices of respect and inclusion within school culture.

Year 9 student, JJ enjoyed learning about teamwork and playing sports with new people.

“People were building confidence on and off the field because [the program] helps students come out of their shell learning new skills and I think a lot of students benefitted from it,” JJ said.