While the COVID-19 pandemic isolated students for parts of the year, the NRL School to Work program kept its participants connected through online Yarning Circles.
Established in 2012, NRL School to Work focuses on helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students graduate from high school and find meaningful employment or tertiary education.
A record 500 participants finished their Year 12 studies with the assistance of the Government-funded initiative in 2020.
When the pandemic forced institutions to close and learning to go online, the NRL School to Work team decided to conduct Yarning Circles over Zoom.
An important facet of Aboriginal culture for thousands of years, Yarning Circles help form respectful relationships, preserve and pass on knowledge and provide a safe environment for discussion.