Connecting People, Clothing and Community

What can happen when more than 1,200 young people from around the world come together with a shared desire to make a difference?

At the 2026 Round Square International Conference, hosted by Barker College, students and teachers from more than 270 schools worldwide came together to explore the theme Visions of the Future from an Ancient Land.

The six-day program brought together Australian culture, leadership, storytelling, discussion, service and adventure. Delegates experienced homestays with Australian families, explored Australia's history and culture, took part in group discussions and challenges, and built friendships with students from across the globe.

Celebrating 60 years of Round Square, the conference encouraged delegates to reflect on the past, stand united in the present and imagine a more hopeful and sustainable future. A strong focus was service and contribution, with students applying leadership, teamwork and problem-solving to real-world challenges.

Turning Donated Clothing into New Opportunities

As part of the program, Anglicare Op Shops and Take Love joined the conversation through a two-day, hands-on sustainability initiative called the Crowd Sort.

Delegates were presented with a confronting mountain of donated clothing, giving them a tangible sense of the scale of clothing waste created by overconsumption and fast fashion. Through guided reflection, storytelling and practical activities, students explored the environmental and human impact of our consumption choices and considered what they could do differently.

Working together, students then sorted, tagged and packed donated clothing for Anglicare's Op Shop network.

"What started as piles of donated clothing soon became hundreds of carefully packed tubs, ready to make their way to Anglicare Op Shops," said one student.

At the end of the two days, the pile translated into 300 packed tubs ready for Anglicare Op Shops across Greater Sydney and the Illawarra. The clothes will go on sale at affordable prices and the money raised from each sale will fund Anglicare's emergency relief and food assistance for people experiencing hardship.

"These young people have come from all over the world, and they're spending part of their time here helping families in need," said Rev Dr Andrew Ford, Anglicare's Group Executive, Community and Mission.

"Every tub they pack will end up in one of our Op Shops. There it helps someone provide much-needed clothing for families and helps fund the support we provide to people in need."

Head of Barker College, Phillip Heath AM, said the Crowd Sort was a chance for Barker to welcome the world and get to work together.

"We want our young people to be leaders and creators of the future, and this week there are 1,200 of them from all over the world working alongside new friends to turn a mountain of donated clothing into real help for families here in Sydney. We believe in equipping young people to be positive contributors to society and this is such an encouraging example of Matthew 5:16 "Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven."

The Crowd Sort demonstrated the power of partnership, bringing together Barker College, Round Square, Take Love and Anglicare Op Shops to give young people a practical way to contribute. Rather than simply talking about sustainability, delegates rolled up their sleeves and became part of the solution, seeing how individual actions can create a much bigger impact when people work together. The hundreds of packed tubs were a powerful reminder that positive change can start with something as simple as an unwanted piece of clothing.

Learn more about Anglicare Op Shops and how you can donate, shop or volunteer.