Your Mob Learning project

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children's Day is an opportunity for the whole community to come together, host events and share stories to celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. It’s about everyone learning and honouring the importance of culture, community and family which is vital in every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander child's life. It is the core of their identity as First Nations People's.

EACH recognises the important role Australian Early Childhood Educators play in promoting greater understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ways of knowing and being.

EACH also recognise that 2020 has been a time of unpredictability and uncertainty for everyone, therefore the usual gatherings and celebrations of these days have potentially been put on hold. EACH wanted to continue to support Early Childhood Educators on their cultural journey of learning and growth.

As a result, several teams across EACH including Catherine Delaney (EACH Health Promotion), Vanessa Murdoch (Ngarrang Gulinj-al Boordup - Aboriginal Health & Wellbeing) and Diana Roggenbucke (Smiles 4 Miles Coordinator, Oral Health) have been working directly with Knox City Council and Maroondah City Council Children's Services Leaders to identify key champions in the Early Years Settings to trial the Your Mob Learning - Foundations and Work Ready Courses in their services.

Early Childhood Educators were invited to register their expression of interest in completing the ‘Indigenous Cultural Awareness Foundations Course’ and the ‘Work Ready Indigenous Cultural Awareness Course' to support them to become more culturally aware and increase their knowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history and practices.

The Your Mob Learning Cultural Awareness courses offer a suite of online courses and resources that give Early Childhood Educators the opportunity to connect and hear about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives. It prepares Early Childhood Educators to be culturally responsive and creates awareness among their individual services as well as increasing Educators confidence in building relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities to begin to reconstruct meaningful relationships.

A total of 146 Early Childhood Educators across Knox and Maroondah registered to undertake the course, and certificates of completion have already been received.

There will be a formal evaluation, and EACH hopes that this will lead the way for Early Childhood Services to begin working on their Reconciliation Action Plans.

Website: EACH

Website: Your Mob Learning

For more information on the project please contact:

• Catherine Delaney, EACH Health Promotion, catherine.delaney@each.com.au

• Vanessa Murdoch, EACH Ngarrang Gulinj-al Boordup Aboriginal Health Promotion, vanessa.murdoch@each.com.au

• Diana Roggenbucke, Smiles 4 Miles Coordinator EACH, diana.roggenbucke@each.com.au