RECONCILIATION ACTION PLAN
Inclusion and Reconciliation
Respected, safe, celebrated.
Indigenous inclusion and reconciliation at KCC acknowledges Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Elders past, present and emerging.
KCC are part of and reflect their communities. Our learning environments and programs should reflect those diverse cultures with sensitivity, authenticity, and integrity. We are guided by the genuine relationships our teams develop with local First Nations peoples.
Leading on creating culturally safe environments
Our team is committed to creating a safe, nurturing, positive environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, team members and communities. We seek to provide environments where they:
Feel comfortable being themselves.
Feel comfortable expressing their culture, including their spiritual and belief systems.
Have educators and colleagues who respect and encourage their sense of self and identity.
Understand Identity
Recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and heritage is key to the identity of the First Nations children and team members who attend our Centres. Through our curriculum with children and KCC mindsets with our team, we seek to support a broader understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity by:
Making connections and building relationships with local First Nations peoples.
Seeking advice, research, consultation and appropriate permissions in line with local First Nations community protocols and practices.
Professional learning that supports incorporating First Nations perspectives.
Sensitively and thoughtfully acknowledging local First Nations languages, symbols and places.
Our early learning service is proud to be developing a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to strengthen relationships, respect and opportunities in the classroom, around the school and with the community.
Respecting Culture
Being able to express their culture makes First Nations peoples stronger and safer. Our educators encourage and actively support a child’s ability to express their culture and enjoy their cultural rights. This includes initiatives and practices such as:
Culturally responsive experiences that support connection to Country and caring for Country.
Including images of contemporary Indigenous learning environments, photos, books, storytelling and connections with community.
Using ethically sourced and authentic materials and resources, including appropriately acknowledged First Nations artwork or resources.
Incorporating First Nations storytelling and books
Respectfully recognising days of significance and the perspective of First Nations peoples, such as National Reconciliation Week and NAIDOC week.
Ensure that racism is not tolerated
We will address any instances of racism with appropriate consequences.
We actively support and facilitate participation and inclusion within our centres service by First Nations children, team members and communities.
We will ensure all policies, procedures, systems and processes together create a culturally safe and inclusive environment and meet the needs of our First Nations children, team members and communities.
We seek to combat racism by educating current and future generations on the cultures and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and building awareness of Australia’s past and present.
Reconciliation Action Plans
Our goal is to develop a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) in collaboration with our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. A RAP is a formal commitment to reconciliation. It shows how our team will strengthen relationships and create opportunities in our learning environments to foster knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions.
In 2023/2024 the RAP working party is comprised of the following members:
- Nicole Short (Coordinator)
- Nicole Cox (Educational Leader)
- Anni Russell (Preschool Teacher)
- Kim Lago (Educator)
- Amanda Wright (Educator)
- Robyn Daunt (Educator)
- Julie Best (Indigenous Library Assistant at GV Library)
To learn more, visit: https://www.reconciliation.org.au/our-work/narragunnawali/