Inspiring Youth Resilience and Hope in Sydney Schoolchildren
In early June, more than 6,000 students and teachers from 75+ schools filled the Aware Super Theatre at Sydney’s ICC for the Stand Tall Sydney 2025 event – a powerful youth wellbeing and suicide prevention initiative aimed at inspiring young people with messages of hope, resilience, and purpose.
Hosted by not-for-profit organisation Stand Tall, the event brought together students from across Sydney, including many from the Canterbury-Bankstown region. The event was supported by a $20,000 donation from Canterbury League Club which helped subsidised 148 student attendee fees, transport and event costs.
The event had a line-up of inspirational speakers, including Leila Abdallah, Michael Crossland, Daniel Flynn, Jazz Thornton, Matt Purcell, Liv Phyland, Nathan Strempel, breakdancer J-Attack and singer Timomatic, all sharing their stories of resilience and powerful life lessons.
Unlike many school-based programs, this large-scale event was designed to appeal to teenagers and feels more like a concert than a mental health seminar which immediately shifts the students’ expectations. “There’s something electric about it,” said Angela Farr-Jones, CEO & Co-Founder of Stand Tall. “The music, the lights, the speakers – it’s fun and designed to make every student feel celebrated, with their needs and voices in mind.”
Student feedback after the event was overwhelmingly positive, with over 3,000 students submitting written responses. One wrote, “I cried throughout the whole thing because I finally felt like someone truly understood me.”
Another student shared, “Today became a moment in my life that changed my whole mindset. I will be the next speaker on that stage!”
Another added, “Thank you for changing my life!!!”
“Our biggest takeaway was the overwhelming confirmation that these events are not just important – they’re transformational,” said Angela. “Once again, we saw students deeply impacted by the powerful messages of hope. They left feeling seen, valued, and inspired to make positive choices for their future.”
