As conversations around Kindy Uplift funding continue to evolve, there’s been growing emphasis on supporting local suppliers to deliver professional development across Queensland early learning services.
While this is an important and well-intentioned directive, it has inadvertently raised misconceptions — particularly that workshops delivered by inter-state facilitators, like Koori Curriculum’s Director Jessica Staines, are somehow less valuable to Queensland educators.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
1. Deep Wiradjuri Knowledge and Pedagogical Alignment
Jessica Staines is a proud Wiradjuri woman and a highly experienced educator who has spent decades working with the 8 Ways of Learning, a Wiradjuri-derived pedagogical framework that has been endorsed for use across Queensland. Her expertise brings both authenticity and academic rigour to professional learning, ensuring that educators not only gain cultural knowledge but also learn how to apply it through a tested, research-informed teaching methodology.
This alignment makes Jessica’s work particularly relevant to Queensland services seeking to embed Aboriginal perspectives meaningfully and sustainably within their programs.
2. National Impact and Professional Credibility
While Jessica is based in New South Wales, her work is nationally recognised. She has partnered with peak advisory bodies including Be You, Early Childhood Australia, and ABC Play School, contributing to the sector’s collective understanding of cultural inclusion and reconciliation in education.
Her voice is not that of an outsider looking in — it’s the voice of a respected national leader whose work has directly shaped how early childhood educators across the country engage with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
3. Local Connections and Personal Ties to Queensland
Jessica’s connection to Queensland extends beyond professional borders. Her family lives on both the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, grounding her visits in personal ties and community connection. She has cultivated long-term relationships with Queensland educators, services, and networks, returning regularly to support their ongoing professional growth.
Her presence in Queensland is not transient — it’s relational, responsive, and deeply invested in helping educators build programs that are both culturally safe and contextually relevant.
4. Bridging Cultural Knowledge and Early Childhood Practice
As a qualified early childhood teacher with over twenty years of experience, Jessica uniquely bridges the gap between cultural knowledge and early learning pedagogy. She understands the daily realities of educators — the programming demands, family engagement challenges, and the balance required to meet children’s holistic developmental needs.
Her training doesn’t just focus on “Aboriginal content”; it helps educators connect the why and the how — linking cultural perspectives with quality teaching, belonging, identity, and social justice outcomes for children.
5. Integrity, Respect, and Staying in Lane
Koori Curriculum operates with deep cultural integrity. Jessica is the first to acknowledge that no single person can represent all Aboriginal nations, voices, or knowledges. Her work intentionally stays within her lane, providing a foundation for educators to then build authentic local connections with Traditional Custodians and community members.
This respect-based approach ensures that cultural knowledge is shared responsibly and that local Elders and knowledge holders remain the rightful authorities on their Country.
6. The “Sandwich” Approach: Laying the Right Foundations
Koori Curriculum advocates for what Jessica calls a “sandwich approach” to professional learning and community engagement:
Start with a strong foundation – Work with Jessica first to understand why embedding Aboriginal perspectives matters. Develop meaningful goals within your Reconciliation Action Plan and create a Community Connections List that maps who’s who locally and what roles they play.
Build readiness and safety – This process ensures that educators have culturally safe practices and spaces before inviting community into the service.
Connect with community – Once ready, educators can invite Elders, artists, and storytellers to participate in ongoing, reciprocal programs — such as “Elder in Residence” or “Artist in Residence” initiatives.
Sustain and grow – Continue learning with Jessica through follow-up workshops on Programming, Planning and Pedagogy, or through the Koori Curriculum Club and Coaching Program for ongoing mentoring and reflection.
This structured approach prevents educators from “chasing their tails” or engaging in tokenistic activities. Instead, it cultivates deep understanding, long-term relationships, and genuine change.
7. Building a Nationally Connected, Locally Grounded Profession
Koori Curriculum’s presence in Queensland is not about replacing local voices — it’s about strengthening them. Jessica’s role is to support educators to first understand their purpose, so they can engage with local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in respectful and informed ways.
By investing in national expertise like Jessica’s, Queensland educators gain access to tried-and-tested frameworks, high-quality professional learning, and a mentor who has guided thousands of educators through the journey from awareness to action.
Localisation is important — but authenticity, quality, and integrity are essential. Jessica Staines and Koori Curriculum offer all three.
Their work in Queensland continues to build bridges between pedagogy, practice, and place — ensuring every child, educator, and community has the opportunity to connect with Aboriginal ways of knowing, being, and doing in a way that is both culturally grounded and nationally informed.
Ready to start your service’s cultural capability journey?
Book in a discovery call today.
Click below to access Koori Curriculum's Kindy Uplift professional development catalogue:
