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Building Bridges Launch November 2002 |
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Building Bridges – Launch
Before I begin I would like to acknowledge the Gadigal people, the traditional custodians of the land on which we stand.
- Minister Nelson,
- Board Members, staff, children and parents of the Wanunbiri Preschool
- Parent and families who contributed to this project who are able to be here today:,
- Sharon Blakney
- Vicki Lovegrove
- Janette McCormick
- Naj - wa Richards
- Rosalind Due - Anne – Dan – you
- The authors
Denise Williams Kennedy and Marilyn Fleer
- The family of the late Jo Pender
- Distinguished guests,
- and ladies and gentlemen
It is a pleasure to be here, as the National President of the Australian Early Childhood Association, at the launch of the book and video Building Bridges – Literacy Development in Indigenous Young Children.
AECA is a national, non-government, non-profit advocacy organisation for young children. It has been working for children and those who work with and care for them for over sixty years.
The Project Building Bridges was the result of a questioning and unease about the about what was meant by parent participation and partnerships with parents in early childhood settings and schools and what this would look like for Indigenous families and communities.
We all know that this partnership is what makes the difference in terms of children’s growing and learning in settings outside the home.
A real partnership between parents, teachers and carers must move beyond the superficial – to a deep understanding of what it is in the growing and learning of an Indigenous child that defines these children as Indigenous.
This is much more than what they look like – it is about the relationships and connections to their families and communities –their history, their culture, their everyday experience, their dreams and dreamings.
It is about who they are and how they came to be so?
For all children their history and experience provides the foundations for future growing and learning.
What does this mean if we are really serious about making our services and schools work for young Indigenous children.
The families who were part of this project have opened up new insights into what might need to happen.
They were asked to video over one week:
- what was important to them about what their own young child knew and was able to do - about growing and learning as a young Indigenous child?
The richness of these videos and the willingness of these families to open their lives to us – so that we could know and learn - is a tribute to their generosity and commitment to make a difference not only for their own child but also for other Indigenous children and indeed for all of us.
Thank you so much.
If early childhood educators like myself are to make a difference we must transform our thinking and practice and in some ways ourselves.
We will have to ask ourselves the questions the parents in the project asked of themselves. These questions were:
- What is it about my family that everyone who watches these videos can see?
- What is it that only I can see because it is my family/community. and
- What is it that is so much a part of me (my culture) that I no longer notice it anymore?
The material from the parent’s conversations with each other around these questions was the basis for the book written by Denise and Marilyn.
The collaboration between the two authors demonstrates the power of the partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous parents and educators.
I would also like to acknowledge another Indigenous early childhood educator the late Jo Pender who was a part of this project and who worked tirelessly for Aboriginal children and early childhood educators to make a difference.
Jo built on the richness and culture of her family and built bridges between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.
Thank you to Louise Brennan and her staff at the center who worked closely with AECA in organising this launch.
I would also like to thank the Board, Staff and children of the Wunambiri Preschool for providing the venue for this launch.
Please accept this gift Sharon in appreciation. It includes:
- Another copy of Building Bridges and other AECA publications for staff and parents,
- It also includes a comprehensive service membership of AECA.
And finally thank you to the Commonwealth Government for the funding to undertake this project and for the support provided by the Department of Education, Science and Training.
The book and video are beautiful – They invite reading and viewing– The content of each is rich and challenging.
I commend them to you.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 14 June 2007 )
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