Our podcasts are as real and as raw as the educator next to you. In a series of conversational style recordings, Jess sits down to discuss all things relating to Aboriginal culture and curriculums in early childhood services across Australia. Each of our guests has a unique story to tell about their journey towards building cultural confidence and competence, providing real life examples, practical strategies and inspirational messages to the listener.
Join us as we travel around the nation discussing everything you need to know about advocacy, Aboriginal culture, elders, events, education and more.
In this episode I sit down with Heather Brady and Jodie Stewart from Yarrawong Children’s Centre.
Yarrawong is one of Orange City Council's three long day care centres. They also have a family daycare, occasional care and OSH and vacation care. Yarrawong is youngest of the long day care centres. Opened in 1993 they cater for about 59 children each day, aged from nought to five years. Yarrawong is located in the central west of New South Wales in Wiradjuri country, just past Bathurst over the Blue Mountains.
In our episode we will discuss:
- The importance of whole team training for centres on the inclusion of Aboriginal perspectives.
- What inspired Heather and Jodie’s journey
- How the centre embraces individual strengths of educators and utilises this as a way in for educators to include culture in the curriculum.
- Tips for sourcing professional development readings
- Acknowledging the process of un-learning and re-learning about Australia’s Black history
- Building relationships with the local Aboriginal Community
- Important protocols when using Aboriginal language in Early Learning programs
- Working with Aboriginal Elders and communities
- Engaging with Aboriginal committees and organisations
- How Yarrawong approaches NAIDOC week
- Different forms of advocacy and why it’s important
- How to respectfully include the Aboriginal perspectives in the curriculum
- The value in persistence
Links mentioned in this episode:
AECG Website: https://www.aecg.nsw.edu.au/
Koori Curriculum: https://kooricurriculum.com/
In this episode I interview Marnie Omeragic from Concord West Rhodes Preschool.
Marnie has worked in community-based services for 28 years, developing strong relationships and connections with the local community, advocating high quality play based learning, inclusive practices, embedded environmental and sustainable approaches, and connecting children to place; particularly the riverside parkland alongside the preschool.
Concord West Rhodes Preschool has been the finalise in the City of Canad Bay sustainability awards for 2017 and 2017. They were winners of the New South Wales Early Childhood Environmental Education Network Sprout Awards in 2015 and 2016. Their embedded anti-bias practises were awarded Highly Commended by the 2017 Social Justice and Early Childhood Anti-Bias Award. Marnie is a contributor to the 2018 Aboriginal Early Childhood Practice Guide, edited by Jessica Staines and Red Ruby Scarlet, sharing insights into her journey of embedding Aboriginal perspectives within the service.
In this episode we will discuss:
- The history of Concord West Rhodes Preschool and it’s notable location
- The pre-schools positive impact within the community
- How Marnie embeds an Aboriginal Perspective into her curriculum.
- Marnie’s journey over the past 30 years
- Learning to embed an Aboriginal Perspective
- The difference between tokenistic and stereotypical
- How Marnie and her team of educators connected with the community
- Yabon Festival
- Yarning Circles
- Working with Mathew Doyle
- Embedding practice of noticing’s
- How to engage the whole team
- Acknowledgment of country
- And more!
Links mentioned in this episode:
Western Sydney Reconciliation Group - https://reconciliation4westernsydney.org/
Concord West Rhodes Pre-School - https://www.concordwestrhodespreschool.org.au/
EYLF - https://www.education.gov.au/early-years-learning-framework-0
Yabun Festival - http://yabun.org.au/
Yarning Circles - https://kooricurriculum.com/pages/yarning-circle
Blak Markets Bear Island - https://blakmarkets.com/
Koori Curriculum - https://kooricurriculum.com/
In this episode I sit down with Cassie Davis from the Western suburbs of Melbourne.
Cassie began working in Early Childhood education in 2003 when she was just 16 years old. She always knew she, wanted to be an educator and work with children and after working in long daycare for 11 years, she was ready to take on a teaching position at a sessional kindergarten for her local council in Tarneit. From 2015 her reconciliation journey began both professionally and personally.
In our episode we will discuss:
- Wyndham City Councils vision for reconciliation
- How the centres journey for inclusion has shifted over time
- How Cassie utilises children’s natural interests to embed an Aboriginal perspective
- Cassie’s team and their role in embedding an Aboriginal Perspective
- Cassie’s Torres Strait Island experience
- Understanding Torres Strait Islander culture and views
- How is Torres Strait and Aboriginal culture different
- Torres Strait Islander community challenges
- Establishing relationships with local Aboriginal community members
- Local council support and what that looks like
- Torres Strait Islander celebrations and what they look like
- Floral Fridays
- Knowledge sharing with the team
- Torres Strait food
- Cultural inclusion
Links mentioned in this episode:
Koori Curriculum: https://kooricurriculum.com/
Wyndham Council: https://www.wyndham.vic.gov.au/reconciliationweek
