ince 2020, Creating Chances has delivered full-year online and face to face Springboard programs to the students at Dareton Public School in Wentworth, which has the highest proportion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (98%) in NSW, and also at Wentworth, Gol Gol and Buronga Public Schools. Creating Chances has also worked along the Silver City Highway at Coomealla High School in Coomealla, delivering Champions, Coach and Future Pathways programs from our Youth Development Pathway.
The school aimed to enhance student engagement and connection to school, community, and place, given the distance from the nearest schools. A need to establish identity and a feeling of togetherness in spite of geographical barriers was needed to create a fun and supportive environment for the students of the region.
The finale to the program is the World Traditional Games. In 2024 Dareton Public School hosted the high-tempo festival of sport that highlights the diverse communities of Australia – including local Barkandji games – designed and delivered by Coomealla High School students under the guidance of Creating Chances staff.
Each game we play celebrates different cultural elements and stories designed to increase appreciation of different cultures and ethnic groups, promote social harmony, diversity, and inclusion.
see people from different cultures work together with the local students to lead the activities. By celebrating cultural elements and appreciating differences of cultural and ethnic groups through sport, teachers at Dareton Public School recognised a new understanding and appreciation of Australia’s diversity.
The geographical distance between schools located in the Sunraysia region means that it’s not often that students get to mix with those from other schools, and the World Traditional Games format also provided them with the opportunity to meet new students, exercise the skills they had learnt and gain an appreciation for diversity.
Students participated in a range of sporting activities and rotated playing traditional games including Kabaddi, Thari, La Balle Aux Prisonniers, Tzami, Keentan, Kubb, Lapé, Kilikiti.
Head Facilitator Halima Elsayed found that the biggest take away from the day was the unity created by the inclusive environment the kids built.
“There was a lot of cohesion from students across the board today. It was amazing to see smiles on the students’ faces and the impact we’ve made over the last four years for the students and the schools.”
World Traditional Games has become a staple of our work in the Sunraysia region and Coomealla High School, Dareton Public School, Baronga Public School, Denton Public School, Wentworth Public School,and Gol Gol Public School.
At Creating Chances, we connect ideas, inspire growth, and empower young people to build confidence, resilience, and optimism for a brighter future.
