Praxis Partnerships: Employing community engagement as a mechanism for reconciliation and active citizenship Praxis Partnerships: Employing community engagement as a mechanism for reconciliation and active citizenship Dawn Darlaston-Jones, University of Notre Dame, Australia; Joanne Della Bona & Lisa Rutherford Moorditch Gurlongga Association   It has been argued that cultural competence is a critical component of psychological literacy and that this should be the lens through which all other knowledge is interpreted. In the context of Australia and its history of colonisation, cultural competence is applied most importantly in the context of relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider Australian community. Providing undergraduate students with the opportunity to work with an Aboriginal organisation in mutually beneficial and respectful partnerships enables them to enact the theoretical and philosophical frameworks they have been taught. Furthermore, it offers the opportunity to experience the importance of strong relationships as the foundation for reconciliation and active citizenship in order to effect social change. In this session, I will discuss the partnership between the Bachelor of Behavioural Science at the University of Notre Dame’s Fremantle campus and Coolabaroo, an Aboriginal community organisation that offers a range of services to support the local Nyungar community. Specifically, I will demonstrate the learning outcomes derived from building experiential learning opportunities into an undergraduate degree structure and the mutual benefits derived from this experience for the students and the partner agency. Associate Professor Dawn Darlaston-Jones, PhD MAPS, University of Notre Dame, Australia Joanne Della Bona & Lisa Rutherford, Moorditch Gurlongga Association

Language Psychological Literacy Cultural Competency Application of psychological theory/knowledges to all aspects of life Cultural Competency Lens through which knowledge is interpreted/applied/understood Competency = Misnomer Cultural Responsiveness

Australian Context Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Peoples Oldest living culture ~ 60,000 Colonisation Dispossession Structural & Systemic racism Imposition of white dominant norms

Decolonisation Education Bachelor of Behavioural Science (Fremantle Campus) Transdisciplinary construction of knowledge/curriculum Human Rights & Social Justice through liberation & empowerment Decolonisation perspective Depower non-Indigenous positions Empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander positions Education for substantive reconciliation Partnerships Moorditch Gurlongga Association Coolabarroo Community services Child care Housing

Relationships Mutual respect & trust Needs of the organisation paramount Set the agenda for engagement Determine tasks/roles Authentic experiential learning Critical reflexivity for students Skill development Practical application of knowledge Substantive reconciliation potential

Partnership Context Moorditch Gurlongga Association Small non-for-profit Aboriginal led Coolabaroo Neighbourhood centre Coolabaroo Housing Centre Aboriginal Early years Support Service (AEYSS Moorditj-Apiny Behavioural Science Critical community psychology Transformative change agenda Critical reflexivity History of Moorditch Gurlongga Association (MGA) An Indigenous health worker identified the need for childcare support for Indigenous parents. A non-Indigenous Community Health nurse who, during home visits, saw that Indigenous grandparents were caring for seven to eight grandchildren, as the parents of the children were attending Thornlie T.A.F.E. Moorditch Gurlongga Association (MGA) was established by the Indigenous health worker, the non-Indigenous Community Health nurse, a representative of Indigenous students from Thornlie T.A.F.E. and Indigenous community members. MGA became incorporated on the 11th of November 1985 and now coordinates and manages various community services such as; Coolabaroo Neighbourhood Centre, Coolabaroo Housing Service, Aboriginal Early Years Support Service (AEYSS) and Moorditj-Apiny.

The Task & Outcomes PS393 Community: Policy & Development Final year first semester advanced unit compulsory 2013 & 2014 Policy writing opportunities Learning outcomes Engagement Experiential learning Task skill development Partner outcomes Development of internal policies Refinement of processes Assessment against legislation Additional Internship opportunities

Further Information Associate Professor Dawn Darlaston-Jones dawn.darlaston-jones@nd.edu.au