In partnership with the Multicultural Communities Council of Illawarra (MCCI) they’ve created a resource kit for schools and community groups to teach people the hardships refugees face so they can empathise with their situation.

It culminated on Monday where students made their way through a mock refugee camp in a simulated exercise to really experience what it is like.

Woonona High School is the third school to be involved in the Illawarra Refugee Challenge in a bid to “open their eyes to the wider world”.

Head of English Clare Matthews said after working with council on another stereotype squashing initiative last year, she learnt students’ perceptions were very “sheltered” towards people that were different to them.

“A [former] refugee who happened to also be Muslim [spoke to our pupils] and our students asked the sort of questions that showed their lack of understanding,” she said.

“That was such a powerful and emotive learning experience, so when I heard about this I thought this could be great for our kids.”

WCC community development officer Vimala Colless said community groups or schools can adapt the resource to suit their club or curriculum and choose to do some elements, or all like Woonona HS.

Ms Matthews said her school had incorporated the resource into their curriculum while several former refugees visited classes to explain to young minds what fleeing a war-torn country was like.

“We’re pushing the 21st century learning,” Ms Matthews said. “It’s real and it’s relevant to what’s going on in the world around them.”

More than 250 Woonona students have gone through the program while it was open to the general public on the school’s hall Monday night.

“It’s been extraordinary because it was for many the first time [they’d spoken to a former refugee],” Ms Colless said.

“Many said they had no idea what it meant to be a refugee, how difficult it is, how much other parts of the world are disrupted by war and also realisations of their role in welcoming people of refugee background.”