This week has seen celebrations for National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day in services across the state, with our resource kit supporting Victorian government-funded kindergartens to mark the occasion.
In collaboration with our partners in Aboriginal education, the Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Incorporated (VAEAI), we sent the kit to more than 3,000 kindergartens across Victoria.
The kits helped kindergartens to celebrate with their children, using a vibrant set of native Australian animal cards designed by First Nations artist and proud Wagiman man Nathan Patterson of Diwana Dreaming.
The kit also includes companion teaching notes with fun ideas and activities for using the cards. Each activity is aligned with the learning and development outcomes of the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework.
The cards and teaching notes help embed Aboriginal perspectives in learning and enact the vision of the Marrung Aboriginal Education Plan 2016–26.
About Children’s Day
Children’s Day is an initiative of the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care. The day is held to celebrate the strengths and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children across Australia.
The day began in 1988 amid protests during Australia’s bicentennial year. The day was chosen to communally celebrate the birthdays of children of the Stolen Generations, who were taken from their families at a young age without knowing their birthdays.
Each year, Children’s Day has a different theme. The theme for 2024 is ‘Strong in Culture, Stronger Together’.
This theme elevates the intention of Children’s Day and focuses on the strength of First Nations children that comes from their connection to culture and mob.
Supporting cultural safety
To help you enact the vision of Marrung in your services, you can use these resources to support Koorie children and families.
You can also learn more about self-determination in the broader education system by reading Strengthening Aboriginal Self-Determination in Education - Campfire Conversations: reflections and directions 2022–23.
We also encourage you to read our previous article in Early Childhood Update about how services can support this vision in early childhood education through reconciliation action plans.
Find out more
For more information, refer to:
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