Young leaders unite at R U OK? Student Summit
At a South Australian school where wellbeing sits at the heart of the curriculum, 120 students from 17 schools across the state came together to build more compassionate, connected communities.
The inaugural R U OK? Student Summit brought student leaders to Prince Alfred College in August 2025.
Local R U OK? Community Ambassador Christopher Richards led the community-driven initiative, inviting students in Years 5 and 6 to step up, lead with empathy and confidently start an R U OK? conversation. Christopher, a teacher at Prince Alfred College and volunteer ambassador, created the summit to share R U OK? messages and resources with children and young people across the state.
“I thought about how amazing it would be if I could visit local schools, and then I realised the idea could be flipped. Instead of me visiting multiple schools, I could bring the schools to me,” Christopher said.
R U OK? Community Ambassador Christopher Richards.
The forum enabled me to share the purpose and vision of R U OK? with students and support them to take that message back and continue the conversation in their own schools.”
Across the one-day summit, students heard directly from an R U OK? spokesperson about the organisation’s mission and vision. They jumped into practical sessions with the school’s wellbeing leaders and worked together to plan R U OK?Day initiatives for their own schools.
Australian basketballer and R U OK? Ambassador Isaac Humphries closed the day, sharing his personal mental health journey.
“The feedback was exceptional. I loved working with such confident, independent and driven student leaders who shared a strong sense of purpose,” Christopher said.
Organisers kept a strong focus on age-appropriate wellbeing conversations, giving students the tools to be a good friend, check in when someone might be struggling and repair a friendship when things go wrong.
Australian basketballer and R U OK? Ambassador Isaac Humphries was invited to speak at the forum.
At Prince Alfred College, these conversations already play a central role in student wellbeing from Reception to Year 6. Teachers actively build emotional literacy, guide students to seek help, and support them in managing concerns and resolving conflicts.
“Our wellbeing program focuses on giving students the social and emotional skills they need to succeed. We teach them to recognise the value and joy of a meaningful conversation,” Christopher said.
“Our goal is to help students grow into the best versions of themselves, knowing they don’t have to go through life alone.”
For Christopher, the work is deeply personal. He became an R U OK? Community Ambassador in early 2025 after his son was diagnosed with cerebral palsy, an experience that strengthened his understanding of the challenges people can face.
“Even when you have support, even when things are going well, and even when you have all the right protective factors in place, you can still find yourself in some pretty dark places,” he said.
“When something rocks you to your core, you need people around you who will lift you up and support you any day, any time. Now as an R U OK? Community Ambassador, having the opportunity to do that for others means so much to me.”
Christopher will lead his second R U OK? Student Summit at the school on August 3, 2026.
Tips for creating your own R U OK? Student Summit
List of Services
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Familarise yourself with R U OK? resourcesList Item 1
Explore practical materials for primary and secondary schools, including lesson ideas on kindness and friendship, as well as safe language guides for sensitive conversations.
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Define your purposeList Item 2
Identify the outcomes you want to achieve, such as building empathy, encouraging students to check in on friends, or strengthening a culture of support.
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Set your dateList Item 3
Plan the summit a few months before R U OK?Day so students have time to act on their ideas and schools can order merchandise.
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Invite student leadersList Item 4
Bring students together to build a network of young people who can lead wellbeing initiatives and share ideas in their communities.
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Keep it interactive
Include workshops, discussions, activity sheets and planning sessions that encourage participation and connection between schools.
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Focus on practical skills
Teach students how to start a conversation, check in with a friend and respond when someone may be struggling.
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Bring in inspiring voices
Guest speakers with lived experience can make the message more powerful and memorable.
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Make time for student-led planning
Give students space to design initiatives suited to their own communities, including R U OK?Day activities.
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Encourage ongoing action
Support students to keep the momentum going through events, campaigns and wellbeing activities at school.
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Offer support
Ensure support services, such as school counsellors and wellbeing leaders, are available if needed.
You can download R U OK? education resources, including lesson plans, videos and conversation starters, to help spark meaningful conversations in the classroom here.
If you are planning an event, register here.
