Learning English is the first hurdle for many newly arrived refugees and migrants settling in Australia - including for Haneen Alkasilia who left family behind after fleeing the war in Iraq.
She arrived in Australia with her parents and brother after spending two years in Jordan, having initially fled the conflict in Iraq.
She admitted the past 11 months had been the best, and worst, of times.
Learning English was her first task, so she enrolled in the Intensive English Centre at Fairfield High School, in Sydney's western suburbs.
The centre's 'Creating Chances' program has already extended her circle of friends and improved her ability to interact with people from other cultures.
The experience has been so positive, she now aims to work for the centre in the future.
Haneen said coming to Australia was wonderful, but thinking of her two older sisters back in Jordan had not been easy.
"My dream is for my sisters to come here in Australia and live with me, to be like one family here" she told SBS World News.
Assmaah Helal, who is one of the organisers of 'Creating Chances', said he is hoping to help migrants and refugees gain a sense of belonging.
Haneen Alkasilia building a new life for herself in Australia after her family arrived in Australia as refugees (SBS) Source: SBS
Putting them in a position to find a job was the overall aim, a task that the centre's deputy principal, Gus Avgoustou, said was already happening.
"We have had students that went through the program that ended up working for the organisation," he said.
In 2016, the program reached out to more than 2000 primary and secondary students in more than 50 schools across Sydney.
