As conversations around funding and local procurement continue, particularly here in Queensland through initiatives like Kindy Uplift, I’ve noticed a growing perception that workshops or training sessions delivered by interstate facilitators somehow hold less value than those offered by “locals.”
I understand where this sentiment comes from. Supporting local voices, knowledge holders, and community organisations is vital. But when it comes to building cultural capacity within early childhood education, it’s not geography that matters most, it’s integrity.
Cultural Integrity Is About Depth, Not Distance
I am a proud Wiradjuri woman and a qualified early childhood teacher with over twenty years’ experience. The way I work has always been guided by the principle of cultural integrity, staying in my lane, knowing my limits, and honouring where knowledge comes from.
My workshops are not about telling Queensland educators “how to do culture.” They are about helping educators understand why embedding Aboriginal perspectives is essential. From there, I guide teams through the process of preparing their environments and programs so they are safe, respectful, and ready to welcome their own local communities in.
It’s never a one-stop shop, nor a substitute for connecting with local voices. It’s about building a solid foundation first, one grounded in respect, reflection, and responsibility.
The 8 Ways of Learning: A Wiradjuri Pedagogy with National Relevance
The 8 Ways of Learning, a Wiradjuri-derived pedagogical framework, is one of the most significant tools I use in my work. It’s been endorsed for use in Queensland because of its universal relevance, its principles of story-sharing, non-verbal learning, community links, and deep listening can strengthen any early learning program, anywhere in Australia.
These ways of knowing, being, and doing don’t replace local knowledge; they provide a framework for thinking that helps educators connect more meaningfully with their own communities and Country.
A Foundation-First Approach
At Koori Curriculum, we often talk about the “sandwich approach” to building cultural capacity:
- Start with understanding. Work with me first to unpack the why, to build shared values, identify cultural goals, and map your community connections.
- Prepare your space. Ensure your environment and practices are culturally safe before inviting community in.
- Connect locally. Engage Elders, artists, and storytellers in meaningful, ongoing partnerships, not as guests, but as guides and collaborators.
- Continue your journey. Deepen your practice by attending our Programming, Planning and Pedagogy workshop, where we explore how to weave Aboriginal perspectives through all aspects of curriculum design and teaching practice.
This process ensures that engagement is purposeful and sustainable, not performative or tokenistic.
Working Together Across Country
Cultural inclusion in early childhood education should never be seen as a competitive or territorial act. It’s a collaborative responsibility, one that thrives when we share knowledge, resources, and wisdom across states, sectors, and systems.
Whether you’re in Sydney, Toowoomba, or Townsville, the goal remains the same: to create spaces where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are woven into the fabric of early learning in ways that honour both culture and Country.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not where you’re from that matters, it’s how you show up.
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:
