Education Matters Breakout Session, Reconciliation Australia RAP Conference, Meanjin/Brisbane 2024

2024 has been another big year for supporting reconciliation and contributing to positive change. The Narragunnawali team is proud of the meaningful work that schools and early learning services are doing to advance reconciliation across the country. As we approach 2025, we reflect on the year that’s been and prepare for new initiatives within the reconciliation in education community of practice.
 

Collaboration with Culture is Life

Reconciliation Australia partnered with Culture is Life, an Aboriginal-led non-profit organisation, to present a webinar with Filmmaker and Director Rachel Perkins, and Culture is Life General Manager – Programs, Thara Brown, about the award-winning documentary series The Australian Wars and accompanying educational resources. These resources, available on The Australian Wars website, are designed for students in Years 9 to 12 and explore colonisation, its impacts, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories. They also encourage schools to connect with local communities for further learning. An on-demand webinar is available to support Educators to unpack these topics. Educators are also encouraged to watch the documentary and use the Narragunnawali Teaching the Australian Wars professional learning resource for preparation. For further information, see the Narragunnawali Australian Wars (Secondary) curriculum resource.
 

National Reconciliation Week 2024

The National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2024 theme, Now More than Ever, highlighted the urgent need to tackle the unfinished business of reconciliation, in education and across the nation. From May 27 to June 3, significant momentum was (re)built as citizens across Australia participated in various NRW events, with more than four hundred choirs joining the Voices for Reconciliation initiative. During this time, we saw NRW curriculum resources become some of the most engaged with materials on the Narragunnawali platform, showing the increasing desire to learn and reflect on reconciliation.

Reconciliation Australia is looking forward to launching the 2025 NRW theme soon, so stay tuned!
 

ECA Reconciliation Symposium 2024

In May 2024, we partnered with the Early Childhood Australia (ECA) for the ECA Reconciliation Symposium held on Ngunnawal Country, Canberra. This two-day event focused on reconciliation in early childhood education, featuring engaging keynotes and facilitated discussions. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about First Nations cultures dating back more than 65,000 years. The event fostered dialogue, understanding, and engagement between First Nations and non-Indigenous participants, promoting meaningful reconciliation in the early years sector.
 

Reconciliation and Education: Past-Present-Future Forum Report

In November 2023, Reconciliation Australia's Narragunnawali team co-hosted the Reconciliation and Education: Past-Present-Future forum together with the University of Melbourne's Ngarrngga project team. This event, held on Ngunnawal Country only weeks after the Voice referendum, gathered education leaders from across Australia to discuss key policies and frameworks, and to celebrate the First Nations peoples who have contributed and continue to advocate for strengthened commitment to reconciliation in education. The forum focused on education’s past, present and future, addressing challenges and successes to build a stronger future for both reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education across Australia.

The Reconciliation and Education: Past-Present-Future Forum Summary Report, released in September 2024, highlights four key recommendations for embedding reconciliation in education.

1. Build on Past Work: Recognise and critically understand the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education, acknowledging the contributions of people and organisation
    
2. Strengthen Education Policy and Implementation: Revisit and reinforce education policies with a focus on reconciliation, ensuring First Nations voices are central in decision-making.
    
3. Coordinate the Sector: Develop a collaborative approach within the education sector to achieve shared goals and advocate for positive changes in Indigenous education.
    
4. Resource Reconciliation: Provide targeted financial and non-financial resources to support teachers and school communities in implementing the aspirations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
    

Read the full report here.
 

Indigenous Governance Awards and National RAP Conference 2024

Reconciliation Australia hosted the National RAP Conference and Indigenous Governance Awards (IGAs) in Meanjin/Brisbane in early November 2024. Over 900 participants from government, corporate and the not-for-profit sector gathered to reflect on truth-telling and much more. The Narragunnawali team were honoured to present to full rooms of passionate leaders and advocates in the reconciliation space about the critical role that education plays to the national reconciliation movement. It was great to see many audience members in the room were involved with school and early learning service RAP working groups. During the panel ‘Education Matters: Lifelong Learning and Intergenerational Change’ with Melody Ingra, Samantha Page, Victoria Thom, Joe Sambono and Aunty Denise Proud, we explored how organisations can adapt to the generation of Australians raised through an education curriculum that prioritised learning about First Nations histories, cultures and perspectives. We also discussed the ongoing commitment to processes of learning, un-learning, and re-learning. 

These events provided an opportunity to reflect on the incredible achievements of the IGAs finalists and winners, celebrating the leadership, resilience and success of First Nations communities in governance. It was inspiring to witness the collective commitment to positive change. We left both events feeling motivated and empowered, with a renewed sense of purpose in continuing our work towards reconciliation and a more inclusive future.
 

Keep Your Eye Out for New Narragunnawali Professional Learning Workshops and Resources in the New Year

As we look ahead to 2025, we’re excited to share that the Narragunnawali team will develop new professional learning resources to support educators to teach about reconciliation. We will also have reoccurring professional learning workshops that build on that momentum, offering fresh insights, practical tools and innovative approaches for driving reconciliation in the classroom, around the school or service and with the community.

See our Workshops landing page for more details on how to register for an upcoming session for one or more of our current workshops:

Narragunnawali: Introduction to Reconciliation in Education

Developing a Narragunnawali Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Workshop

Refreshing a Narragunnawali Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) Workshop
 

Keep an eye out in the new year for updates on these valuable professional learning opportunities to support you in deepening your reconciliation in education journey.