Children from Brewarrina will help teach Aboriginal language to students across Australia through the Indigenous Literacy Foundation's 2026 Busking For Change campaign.

The national program will see schools learn and perform 'MINYAN NGABANGKA' (What's in the Water), a new song co-written by Brewarrina students, Murrawari artist and ILF Ambassador DOBBY and Murrawarri, Yuwaalaraay and Gamilaroi artist Kelsey Iris.

Featuring Murrawarri language, the song draws on Brewarrina's connection to the Baawan/Bama River and will be used by students to raise funds for books in language for children in remote communities.

DOBBY said the campaign held strong personal meaning.

"It's a great honour to host Busking For Change 2026 in Brewarrina," he said.

"It's an honour for me as my family's from here, but I am also really excited for all the schools to be learning one of the languages from here in Brewarrina NSW.

"I hope all the schools around Australia enjoy and sing along with us to MINYAN NGABANGKA - What's in the Water."

MINYAN NGABANGKA translates to "What's in the Water", with Minyan meaning "what" and Ngabangka meaning "in the water" in Murrawarri language.

The phrase was inspired by the talent, energy and spirit of Brewarrina's young people.

Ms Iris linked the song's title to community and Country.

"The song is MINYAN NGABANGKA because this Community and these kids are so deadly we were like, 'What's in the water?'," Ms Iris said.

"And then it's all connected. Our water is life, and it just means so much to us mob here that are from the rivers."

Elders and Knowledge Holders, including Aunty Missy, worked on the project to keep local language, culture and stories at its centre.

Ms Iris said Aboriginal languages were central to literacy, identity and cultural continuity.

"We know that literacy is a really fundamental and important part of all of our lives, especially for children. Language has to be a part of that," Ms Iris said.

"Language is so critical and important to our young people, to our kids, and it's so important that children are speaking and celebrating language every day.

"We hope that we can continue to do this for our future generations and that we revitalise language so that it is fluent in our Communities."

Brewarrina, in north-west New South Wales, is home to the Ngemba people and known for Baiame's Ngunnhu, or Fish Traps.

Through Busking For Change, Brewarrina children will share language and cultural knowledge with classrooms across the country.

ILF Lifetime Ambassador Josh Pyke founded Busking For Change and has watched it grow into a national education campaign.

"Busking For Change started as a way to raise funds for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation at my own gigs, but I always felt it had the potential to be something much bigger than that," Mr Pyke said.

"When my own kids started school I saw an amazing opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the ILF by turning Busking For Change into an annual event where kids could learn a song.

"It shows how powerful music can be in bringing people together around a shared purpose."

Schools, early learning centres, workplaces and community groups are encouraged to register for the 2026 campaign.

Now in its fourth year, Busking For Change aims to recruit 100 schools in 2026 and raise funds for culturally relevant books for remote communities.