High school students from Willoughby and Canterbury-Bankstown will travel across Sydney to visit each other's communities through Metro Connect, a new youth-led program delivered by Willoughby City Council in partnership with Canterbury-Bankstown Council.
Willoughby City Council has secured NSW Government funding through the Social Cohesion Grants for Local Government Program to deliver Metro Connect.
The program will use the Sydney Metro Line to bring together students from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds across the Lower North Shore and South West Sydney.
Students will help design the program before visiting each other's communities, travelling on the Sydney Metro Line and taking part in workshops, discussions and a cultural exchange.
They'll share experiences, discuss identity, culture, racism and discrimination and get to know students they might never otherwise have met.
Mayor Tanya Taylor said Metro Connect would encourage young people to explore parts of Sydney beyond their own neighbourhoods.
"The Sydney Metro has made it easier than ever to travel between our communities. Metro Connect brings young people together to meet, learn from one another and build friendships," Mayor Taylor said.
"When young people step outside their own communities and get to know one another, it helps break down stereotypes and build understanding."
A short documentary will capture the students' experiences and be shared through schools and Council channels.
Students will also take what they've learned back to their classmates, families and friends, helping start conversations that extend well beyond the program and build understanding between communities.
