Adult Learning Australia Bridging Cultures What’s Up? Building Effective Learning Communities for Indigenous Families Dr Carolyn Broadbent Dr Maureen Boyle

Indigenous Viewpoints - Our people have the right to a good education - Our children need the skills, experiences and qualifications to choose their futures - We need young people who can be advocates for our people - Able to take their place in Australian society and business - Still keep their culture strong (National Indigenous Literacy and Numeracy Strategy, 2000)

Progress over 30 years? - Participation in schooling increased - Year 12 retention rates - 32% - Tertiary education (1974) - 7,800 (1998) - Vocational education - same as for other Australians

Equitable Outcomes? 1. - Behind in literacy and numeracy 2. - Less access to secondary education 3. - Absent 2-3 times more than other students 4. - Half as likely to complete Year Lower level qualifications 6. - Less income/ poorer housing 7. - More and serious health problems 8. - Higher mortality rates

Lessons from Research ‘Explicitly recognise Aboriginality’ (Groome and Edwardson, 1996) ‘Acknowledge and value cultural background’ (Craven, 1999) ‘Good teaching, high attendance rates, strong links with the Indigenous community’ (Frigo et al, 2003) ‘Using cultural and community resources to link learning to the home (Indigenous community) are considerable’ (Price in Marsh, 2001)

Encouraging a Community of Practice - Participants generate and share knowledge - Social and individual construction - Deepen understanding - Solve complex issues - Relevance to them and their community (Wenger et al 2002)

Program Context - ARTS Factory - Funding - Youth Centre location - Wide based support

Identifying Needs - Gugan Gulwan Indigenous community - Government and non-Government schools -Indigenous parents - Wiradjuri performing artists - School principals and staff - Networking with other outside school programs

Program Development Themes: - Family - Work - Tradition - Community

Hands on activities: 1. - Mural painting 2. - Jewellery making 3. - Music 4. - Dancing

Literacy and numeracy: - Planning - Documenting learning in portfolios

Learning styles: - Linguistic - Logical - Spatial - Visual - Kinaesthetic

The Corroborree at School On Friday I was so proud of myself representing my culture. We did excellent work and we showed St Benedicts, Duncan, ourselves and our families respect. Jacob, Amy and I were very scared to see what our friends thought when we got back to our class (Year 4). We had lots of fun and we all agreed that it was a great way to start Friday’s assembly. It was cool but I had 1000 butterflies. The ladies from ‘What’s Up’ were excellent. That’s why we awarded them a special poster with all our hand prints on it. It took a while to get the paint off but it was good. It went very fast and very well. The best time ever!! THE END BY HOPE L.

Future Directions? The Bridge Two people were building a bridge over a great divide; each starting from their own opposite end. As they built a wise elder happened to be passing by. “What do you think?” asked one. “We are building this bridge to join two lands together. Then the bridge will join our two peoples.” The wise elder said nothing, only observing the developing structure. Work on the bridge continued and when they finished they looked at it with pride. “Finally we have built a bridge that joins us together.” At this point the wise elder spoke: “There is more to uniting people than building bridges; building them is one thing; crossing them is another.” And the people understood that their work was only half done.