Dozens of New York City students were given the opportunity to learn about identity, bias and community building thanks to a collaboration between Bridge Building with the Brooklyn Nets and the Anti-Defamation League of New York/New Jersey.

Forty students were chosen to participate in the competitive three-day program. The first session was held Wednesday at the Barclays Center.

Students learned about important issues regarding identity. They also tackled issues with social media and bias.

The hope is that the students will take what they learned and spread it to their classmates.

"We have students from all boroughs, so it's a nice opportunity to connect and also talk about New York City and come up with ways that our student leaders can make a change in the world," said Kellianne Holland, the associate education director for ADL New York/New Jersey.

As New Yorkers continue to experience racism and antisemitism, students want to learn the tools to combat it.

"The world is so consumed by evil and there's so much hatred right now, so it's important to have these discussions where we can empathize with both side and understand both perspectives on what's going on," said Leeyah Simeon, a 17-year-old student from Canarsie.

This is the first time the program has been held. The ADL says it hopes it is not the last.