What is the SSV Play - Diversity Dash?
Diversity Dash encourages students to get active as part of an inclusive, fun and social event delivered by schools within the school environment. Diversity Dash can be implemented as a culmination of a unit of work, as part of a whole school focus or goal, or as a celebration of a significant days/week focused on inclusion (as listed below).
Students will be able to walk, run, skip, dance, roll, or wheel their way through a colour-filled course that can incorporate fun obstacles, water, colour or any other fun activities your school wants to add along the way. This event is all about an inclusive celebration that acknowledges the diversity within Victorian schools.
In 2023, School Sport Victoria (SSV) Play will encourage schools to embed Diversity Dash as part of your school's focus on diversity and inclusion.
When planning for the Diversity Dash consider:
- Linking with a neighbouring school from a different setting
- Linking with part of your transition program
- Celebrating the whole school community with a cross generational focus on wellbeing and physical activity
- Using the Diversity dash as a celebration and culminating event for a whole of school focus such as Safe Schools, Respectful Relationships, Positive Education, School-Wide Positive Behaviour Support (SWPBS) to name a few
- Linking a Diversity Dash to a wellbeing celebration
- Linking a Diversity Dash to identified significant days/weeks (such as NAIDOC or a Cultural Diversity Week)
If your school is selected, SSV will provide your school with:
- the coloured powder for your event (at no cost to your school)
- the event pack (includes tips on how to organise, promote and run your event)
- information about the Holi powder
- some simple teacher resources ideas (where available) that teachers can use with students in the weeks before the event.
These fun and educational resources can be used to build students awareness, understanding, and start conversations about diversity and inclusion with your students.
What is the inspiration for Diversity Dash?
Diversity Dash is inspired by the lively and colourful Indian Holi festival that occurs every year in March. Holi is a festival of colours commemorating victory over evil. Holi is celebrated differently in the states of India and globally, but the vibrancy of colours of diverse hues remains the same.
It is celebrated on the last day of the Hindu calendar on full moon, the day marks the receding of winter and heralding the start of spring. A multicultural festival celebrated by various communities, irrespective of religion, gender, or social background, where people come together to celebrate with colour, water and exchanging sweet meats. In celebrating difference and inclusion, the Diversity Dash uses similar coloured powders to those used in the Holi festival. (Source: Surjeet Dogra Dhanji, Australia India Institute.)
When can we host a Diversity Dash?
The Diversity Dash should be a celebration event around units of work that support a focus on diversity and inclusion. Your school could consider building your Diversity Dash around one of the following dates below:
Term 3
- Wear it Purple Day (Friday 25 August)
- RUOK Day (Thursday 14 September)
Term 4
- International Day of People with Disability (Sunday 3 December)
- Human Rights Day (Sunday 10 December)
How many students can participate?
SSV will only fund schools for up to 500 students participating. This enables SSV to offer the programs to as many different schools across the state as possible.
If your school has student numbers of more than 500 students, consider whether you focus your event on specific year levels where Diversity Dash aligns more strongly with a learning focus around diversity and inclusion.
Where can we hold a Diversity Dash?
Diversity Dash is hosted by your school and usually run within your school grounds. Schools can set up a fun Diversity Dash course that incorporates the school oval, the outside areas, the school gym or anywhere around the school where a fun and safe course can be created.
How does Diversity Dash link to the Victorian Curriculum?
Diversity Dash can be linked to wide range of Victorian Curriculum areas and be a used as a celebration event following a school focus on any of these Curriculum areas:
- Critical and Creative Thinking
- English
- Ethical Capability
- Health and Physical Education
- Civics and Citizenship
- Intercultural Capability
- Mathematics
- Personal and Social Capability
How to get involved?
Key steps for schools to get involved in hosting a Diversity Dash event:
- Review the criteria on the SSV Play page to see if applying for Diversity Dash is right for your school
- Think about how your school can embed Diversity Dash as part of your school's focus on diversity and inclusion
- Choose a date in later Term 3 or anytime in term 4 2023 to host your event
- Express your interest to host a Diversity Dash event
- Plan and promote your Diversity Dash event, with experiences leading up to the event promoting diversity and inclusion
- Host your Diversity Dash event with a focus on diversity and inclusion on event day
Is Diversity Dash a fundraising event?
No! Diversity Dash is more about delivering an inclusive celebration that acknowledges diversity and inclusion within schools. Participation in Diversity Dash should not be linked to a fundraising activity where parents may be subject to pressure or obligation to donate money for their children to participate in the initiative.
Expressions of Interest are open now for bookings for late Term 3 and 4. School Sport Victoria will be in touch if your school is selected.
