Fourteen Students, One Island: Paraparaumu College’s Leadership Programme Brings New Zealand Youth to Sri Lanka
Photograph: Colombo Gazette
Fourteen students and three teachers from Paraparaumu College in New Zealand are preparing to travel to Sri Lanka for a 14-day leadership training programme beginning on 3 December 2026. Ahead of the visit, Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, Prasanna Gamage, hosted the delegation for a briefing on the country they are about to explore.
None of the students had visited Sri Lanka before. The meeting offered them an introduction to the island’s history, culture, cuisine, geography and socio-economic landscape, as well as an opportunity to ask questions directly. Their programme will combine leadership development with visits to Negombo, Galle, Ella, Kandy and Wasgamuwa.
The visit is a warm example of the connections behind Sri Lanka–New Zealand relations: not only official engagement, but also learning and exchange between young people.
A first introduction to Sri Lanka
During the briefing, High Commissioner Prasanna Gamage spoke with the students and teachers about Sri Lanka’s history and cultural heritage, alongside its geography and socio-economic landscape. The session helped prepare the group for a journey through places and communities that may be new to them.
A question-and-answer session followed, giving the students the chance to learn more about the country and raise points of interest ahead of their departure. For a group setting out on a first visit, this kind of introduction can help turn a list of destinations into a richer understanding of the people, traditions and everyday life they will encounter.
Paraparaumu College is a co-educational state secondary school on the Kāpiti Coast, north of Wellington. Its school information describes the expedition as a student-led opportunity focused on life skills, confidence, resilience and independence. Students are expected to take shared responsibility for practical decisions such as budgeting, transport, meals and activities, while communicating with local people.
The school describes the trip as a 13-night expedition; the Colombo Gazette report refers to a 14-day programme. Both descriptions point to an intensive, two-week experience designed to combine travel with learning.
Five destinations, many perspectives
The programme is set to take the students across Sri Lanka, from the coast to the central highlands and wildlife country. Each stop offers a different perspective on the island.
- Negombo is known for its beaches and fishing culture, offering an early glimpse of coastal life.
- Galle is home to the Dutch-era fort, a UNESCO World Heritage site with a distinctive historic setting.
- Ella is celebrated for its hill-country scenery, with steep green slopes and a cooler highland landscape.
- Kandy is associated with the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, one of the country’s most important religious and cultural landmarks.
- Wasgamuwa is known for its national park and wild elephants, offering the group a chance to experience Sri Lanka’s natural environment.
Illustration: Kandy’s hill-country landscape and a distant Temple of the Tooth-inspired silhouette. AI-generated image; no identifiable people or official emblems.
The itinerary is not simply a tour of scenic locations. The leadership development activities are intended to give students opportunities to work as a team, build confidence and adapt to unfamiliar situations. The school’s expedition information also describes community projects, trekking and learning alongside local people as part of the wider experience.
A student-led journey puts practical skills into action. Planning budgets, making group decisions, organising transport and communicating respectfully all require collaboration. Travelling through different parts of Sri Lanka can also encourage students to listen, ask questions and consider perspectives beyond their own.
Illustration: Ella’s Nine Arch Bridge and surrounding highlands. AI-generated image; no identifiable individuals.
People-to-people links across the two countries
Educational programmes such as this sit within a broader pattern of people-to-people engagement between Sri Lanka and New Zealand. Cultural events, tourism initiatives and community gatherings help create ways for people to meet, share experiences and build connections outside formal settings.
Recent examples include the Sri Lanka Tourism roadshow in Auckland and Christchurch, the first Lankan Fest NZ and Ceylon Cricket Carnival in Auckland on 1 November, and the inaugural Sinhala Literature and Arts Festival in Dunedin on 31 October. Together, these activities reflect the many ways Sri Lankan culture and community life are being shared in New Zealand.
For Sri Lankans living in New Zealand, these links can also help keep heritage visible across generations. For New Zealanders encountering Sri Lanka for the first time, they offer opportunities to learn about the island through its food, arts, landscapes and people. eLanka continues to follow stories that connect Sri Lankan communities around the world, including our coverage of Sri Lankan community and cultural activity and Sri Lankan stories from New Zealand.
Illustration: Wild elephants in a natural Sri Lankan habitat. AI-generated image; no people depicted.
This programme offers a practical setting for that wider connection. The students will have the chance to encounter Sri Lanka directly, while approaching the journey as learners and participants. Their experiences may also give them stories to share with classmates, families and their community when they return to the Kāpiti Coast.
A welcome over tea
The meeting with the High Commissioner concluded with a traditional Sri Lankan tea reception. More than a closing detail, the reception introduced the visitors to a familiar expression of Sri Lankan hospitality: welcoming guests around a cup of tea and making space for conversation.
For the students, that first encounter with hospitality came before the flight, the landscapes and the programme itself. It provided a personal welcome to the culture they will experience during their stay.
Illustration: A tea-growing landscape in Sri Lanka’s highlands. AI-generated image; no identifiable faces.
The Paraparaumu College delegation’s leadership programme begins on 3 December 2026. Over the following two weeks, the students will travel through several regions, take part in leadership development activities and learn more about Sri Lanka’s heritage and contemporary life.
The visit is a promising example of how education and cultural exchange can strengthen Sri Lanka–New Zealand relations, one conversation and one shared experience at a time. eLanka looks forward to following the students’ journey.
Sources: Colombo Gazette. Sri Lankan High Commissioner hosts Paraparaumu College delegation ahead of leadership programme in Sri Lanka · Paraparaumu College: Sri Lanka Expedition 2026
