Adult Learning Australia’s national conversation continues, bringing together representatives of leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adult education organisations to explore ‘What works: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities – adult literacy and learning’ in response to the Federal government’s inquiry into adult literacy, numeracy and problem-solving skills in Australia.
Welcome
Rebecca Arbon – Board member, Adult Learning Australia (ALA) and Higher Education Manager Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal (ALPA) Corporation
Rebecca has been working in adult education, mentoring and professional development for the past 8 years. She is an Adjunct Education Lecturer for CDU specialising in Inclusive Education. For the past 2 years she has been living and working in East Arnhem Land as the Higher Education Manager for the Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation (ALPA). This enables her to provide support and advocacy at local and national levels, championing access and equity of quality adult education, lifelong learning opportunities and culturally inclusive approaches.
Acknowledgment of Country
Di Borella – ALA Board member and an Aboriginal (Yawuru) & Torres Strait Islander woman
Di’s philosophy and practice throughout life has been to make a commitment to lifelong learning and personal development for all Australians, people with disabilities and people with Mental Illnesses or people with special needs. She is passionate about education for all Australians, particularly Indigenous Australians. She believes that if children and adults have access to quality education, they will have fantastic opportunities for their future. Helping people to help themselves is a key component of her philosophy and practice
Co-conveners
Ros Bauer (ALA)
Ros Bauer has extensive experience in adult education as a language literacy numeracy practitioner. She was the winner of the 2013 Australian Training Awards Excellence in Adult Language Literacy and Numeracy Practice and a recipient of an Executive Fellowship through the Australian Endeavour Awards that included a professional learning experience in Scandinavia. Ros has worked as part of the NT LLN Network Group and an educational consultant to the Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation. She is currently Head of Department – Career Pathways, Aboriginal Languages & Employability Skills at TAFE NSW.
Jo Medlin Australian Council of Adult Literacy (ACAL)
Jo Medlin is an adult literacy and numeracy (LN) advocate. Currently her advocacy work centres on her role as President of the Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL). This includes being the ACAL representative on the DESE Foundation Skills Advisory Committee, The Reading Writing Hotline, The Education IRC, and a judge for the Australian Training Awards (LLN category). Jo works as a consultant, specialising in resource development, PD and teaching. This year she also worked with SBS on the documentary Lost for Words where she co-taught adult LN learners and devised an intensive nine-week student-centred learning program.
Panelists
Jack Beetson – Literacy for Life Foundation
Professor Jack Beetson, Executive Director of the Literacy for Life Foundation, is a Ngemba man from western New South Wales who has been involved in Indigenous education and Aboriginal affairs for over 30 years.
Since 2013 Literacy for Life Foundation has helped over 250 Aboriginal adults, across 13 communities, improve their English language literacy. The Foundation is an Aboriginal organisation that coordinates a community-led approach to improving adult literacy.
Vicki Hartman – Tauondi Aboriginal College
Vicki Hartman, is a Ngarrindjeri woman and Trainer and Assessor possessing experience and knowledge across a variety of areas which enables her to work within differing roles at Tauondi Aboriginal College when needed. Currently, Vicki is a Cultural Trainer at Tauondi Aboriginal Corporation, delivering cultural training and activities to both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Vicki has been involved over the past 13 years firstly within adult literacy and numeracy from classroom trainer to Foundation Skills Mentor. In these roles, Vicki assessed all enrolling students Literacy and Numeracy (L&N) levels against ACSF which assisted in guiding students to relevant vocational training at appropriate levels. Part of her role included coordinating and monitoring L&N tutor support to individuals, and course groups, working with trainers and tutors to construct individual L&N development/ learning plans. This year Vicki has been involved with a Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) project, identifying LLN/ Core Skills levels against each unit of competency required of a Diploma course. Vicki currently sits on the Port Adelaide Aboriginal Advisory Panel of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield as the representative from Tauondi Aboriginal College. Vicki is a current Executive Member on the South Australian Council for Adult Literacy (SACAL) on which she has sat since 2010. Vicki also held the position of Honorary Secretary for the Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL) between 2015 to 2019.
Bobbi Brodie – Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation Aboriginal Literacy Program
Bobbi is a proud Yuin Nation man, descendant of the Dhawa people and the Senior Manager, Aboriginal Education and Employment at TAFE NSW, working with the Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation (KBHAC). The KBHAC was established by survivors of Kinchela Aboriginal Boys Training Home (KBH), a ‘home’ run by the NSW Government for over 50 years to house Aboriginal boys forcibly removed from their families. The TAFE NSW Aboriginal Education & Engagement Team in Sydney Region has been working with the TAFE NSW Literacy Team to deliver a successful program for the KBHAC, based in Redfern. The program focuses on individualised literacy programs with strong cultural context and includes an Aboriginal Cultural Teacher working alongside culturally competent non-Aboriginal teachers. The success of the program has gained interest from other Aboriginal communities across NSW.
Warndarrang Elder Kevin Rog
ers – Wuyagiba Bush University
Kevin Rogers is a senior Traditional Owner of Wuyagiba which is a small homeland located between the main Aboriginal communities of southeast Arnhem Land, Ngukurr and Numbulwar. Kevin and his wife Helen are leaders of the Wuyagiba Study Hub with Dr. Emilie Ens from Macquarie University. Kevin is part of a small group of Elders from Ngukurr who were the first and last people to complete a University degree back in the mid-1980s. The Bush Uni, as it is known, was developed in 2018 by Kevin, Helen and Ngandi Elder, Mrs. Cherry Wulumirr Daniels (now deceased) to support local Aboriginal students to access higher education on-country, with an ambition to forge remote Aboriginal leaders of the future. The Hub interweaves cultural content with academic skills through fully accredited 1st year University subjects that are taught by local Elders and Macquarie University staff. To date, 55 students have been involved in the Hub with graduates going on to employment such as the local Police and language centre, and 17 have enrolled in Bachelor degrees with the first Bachelor graduate expected in 2022.
Mel Herdman – Djalkiri Foundation
Mel is the CEO of the Djalkiri Foundation an Aboriginal Corporation in North-East Arnhem Land providing holistic, community-driven adult education that creates pathways for young Yolŋu adults and emerging community leaders, providing them with the opportunity to be empowered in two worlds.