Killara High School selected as first to take part in Australia for UNHCR’s ground-breaking Here & There program 19.09.11

19 September 2011

Sydney's Killara High School has today been announced as the first school in the world to participate in Australia for UNHCR's Here & There education project which provides the opportunity for a live link with school children in a refugee camp in Africa.

The Here & There program, developed by Australia for UNHCR (the UN Refugee Agency's charity in Australia) and Skype, will see Killara High School team up with an Australian-funded secondary school at the Nakivale refugee settlement in Uganda, using Skype technology to  learn more about each other's lives.

The project connection will take place on Wednesday, 21 September, with students from each school having the opportunity to learn more about growing up in different cultures on opposite sides of the world.

The aim of Here & There is to provide Australian children with a greater understanding of what it means to be a refugee while also providing the students in Uganda with the opportunity to talk face to face with other students in Australia.  It is envisioned the program will be extended to other countries in 2012.

Debra O'Neill, Deputy Director of Australia for UNHCR, said: "The standard of entries we received from schools around Australia for the inaugural Here & There program was very high, but Killara High School's was very strong from an educational and engagement point of view. We are delighted to be able to offer them this world-first opportunity to really connect with refugee children in this way and hope that the students find this a stimulating and enjoyable experience," said Ms O'Neill.

"Having met the children at Nakivale, there are some real commonalities between the children - favourite foods, favourite sports, sports-stars - which is fantastic and will show both groups how similar they are despite living very different lives."

Dr Mark Carter, Principal at Killara High School, was delighted to have his students selected as the first to participate in the Here & There program.

"We're thrilled to have been selected for this fantastic educational and cultural opportunity. Our students and teachers are committed to broadening learning beyond our borders, and this project enables us to open up a whole new world.

"I know the students will be counting down the days until they can begin to talk with the Nakivale students and thank Australia for UNHCR and Skype for giving them the chance to do so," said Dr Carter.

The Killara High School entry focused on a day in the life of the students, which was presented in a highly engaging way.  The students posed questions ranging from religion and currency to Facebook, displaying a genuine desire to learn more about the Nakivale students and their lives.