It is an idea met with nostalgia by many older people, Jesse Munzel says.

"They are like 'I used to have a pen pal' or 'I remember receiving a letter from an old friend', and how much of a joy that was," she said.

"It makes them realise how much they miss this process of receiving a kind, lovely letter that's not a bill or a random scam email."

Below: Victory Christian College students Elisha Slingo and Alex West discuss what they discovered when they picked up a pen and wrote to students across the sea.

Ms Munzel is helping facilitate the Dear CRIS program, connecting Bendigo students with those in Malaysia and Thailand to build global awareness.

"It's getting them out of the classroom, in a sense, and making them aware of what conditions are like in different countries," she said.

More: Groups fight back against ban on pen pal programs for prisoners

"It's building gratitude and the awareness that things might be different, but that does not make people different. At the end of the day, everyone is the same."

The pilot program ran last year with Bendigo students and was so successful the number of children involved has doubled.

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