Jessica Staines, director of Koori Curriculum, is leading a transformative initiative across 13 TAFE NSW early learning centres, supporting them in developing their Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) and engaging in teacher research that strengthens the meaningful embedding of Aboriginal perspectives in their curriculums.
This significant project began on Dharawal Country, where Jessica visited the Shellharbour and Wollongong campuses on the NSW South Coast. During this initial phase, she conducted cultural safety audits, working closely with educators to identify each centre’s strengths, areas of interest, and challenges in embedding Aboriginal perspectives. These audits provided a foundation for developing tailored strategies that align with the specific needs of each service.
Building Cultural Confidence in Early Learning Centres
Jessica’s approach is not just about compliance—it’s about fostering genuine intercultural ways of knowing, being, and doing. Following the audits, she worked alongside educators to deconstruct and reconstruct their curriculums, ensuring that Aboriginal perspectives are not tokenistic but deeply embedded in everyday practice. This included:
- Developing a strategic plan that supports educators in embedding Aboriginal culture meaningfully.
- Tailoring resources that respond to the needs of each centre.
- Creating spaces for reflection and learning to ensure Aboriginal perspectives are woven into programming with authenticity and respect.
By prioritizing teacher research, educators are empowered to critically reflect on their pedagogy and make informed decisions about how they incorporate Aboriginal perspectives in play-based learning and everyday interactions with children and families.
Sustained Support Through Site Visits and Conferences
Jessica’s collaboration with these 13 early learning centres is an ongoing commitment. Over the course of the year, she will conduct two site visits per service, ensuring educators receive continued support and guidance as they implement their RAPs and refine their approaches.
Additionally, Jessica will be a key speaker at the annual TAFE Children’s Services Conference, where she will facilitate a RAP Drop-In Centre. This will provide educators with a unique opportunity to seek advice, discuss challenges, and share successes in their reconciliation journeys.
Creating Lasting Change
This initiative is more than just a professional development project—it represents a broader systemic shift towards cultural safety, inclusivity, and truth-telling in early childhood education. By equipping educators with the skills and knowledge to embed Aboriginal perspectives with confidence and respect, Jessica Staines is helping to shape a future where reconciliation is not just an aspiration but a lived reality in early learning environments.
As this work continues, these TAFE NSW early learning centres are becoming models of best practice, demonstrating how reconciliation can be embedded in meaningful and sustainable ways within the sector.
