Developing an activities book for NSW Aboriginal preschools

Purpose

Gunawirra and two directors of Radford Early Learning Centre, six outback Aboriginal preschools, a representative of DET, Aboriginal community representatives and other book designing professionals have formed a committee of professionals to design and develop an activities book for the teachers and children in Aboriginal preschools to use and follow. The idea is to deal with issues of self care, to respect nature, to respect others, to get to know the world around them in ways that will encourage respect and care of self in the future.

All the members of the planning committee will visit Aboriginal pre-school centres before, after and during the development of the book, so that a network of support is created between centres in the creative work that is shared. Peer sharing and mentoring is central to the task and a sense of being supported by other preschool centres is an important part of the project.

The group will create a large project book with pockets for subject matter for ten activities, each lasting for one month. So the book would last the year. Committee members would follow up the booklet with visits to some centres to help and encourage and develop activities that will support the children.

The committee will then coordinate with our existing team of famous photographers, book designers, children’s story book writers – including Carl Sherriff, our world famous cartoonist.

This exciting project will begin in October 2010 with a visit from Sydney Gunawirra professional group, Gunnedah, Inverell, Werris Creek, Kootingal to be guests of Radford Early Learning centre and Canberra Grammar Early Learning centre. Discussions on planning the projects as well as visits to see how other centres work and logistics of how to be so far apart and work together will form an important part of the visit.

As the project proceeds a great deal of inter-visiting and engagement between centres with shared thinking and creative ideas developing will make this a wonderful project for our Aboriginal and partly Aboriginal preschools. Every page will acknowledge the cultural gifts Australia has form its first people and will help the children be proud of their heritage and ancient spirituality.