Aboriginal Independent Community Schools: Early Childhood Network (Non-Member Schools)

Description

Join us for a professional learning day held as part of the Aboriginal Independent Community Schools Network Meeting. This session is designed to strengthen connections, collaboration, and professional dialogue among early childhood educators working in remote and regional contexts. Participants will engage in shared learning with peers from Aboriginal Independent Community Schools, the Catholic sector, and a range of prior-to-school programs and services, including those operating across the Kimberley and other remote areas of Western Australia. The PL provides space to explore common challenges, celebrate successes, and exchange culturally responsive, contextually relevant practices that support children, families, and communities. 

The day will begin with a Welcome to Yawuru Country and opportunities for attendees to connect. This will be followed by professional learning focused on Early Childhood pedagogy. Concurrent sessions will include early learning for Aboriginal educators and multilingual learning environments for non-Aboriginal educators.

Next, Baya Gawiy (Fitzroy Crossing) will share their early childhood approach, including their wellbeing framework, language and culture projects, and Reggio Emilia–inspired early learning centre, followed by a hands-on crafting workshop.

The afternoon will be dedicated to networking, providing an opportunity for early years educators working in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander settings to engage with one another. Participants will join yarning circles guided by reflective questions from the Early Years Learning Framework and will offer a platform to share experiences, challenges, and best practices, fostering a supportive professional community.