Date and time

Thursday 22 August 2024, 9.30 am to 3.30 pm

Delivery mode

In person at ISV, 40 Rosslyn St, West Melbourne

Audience 

Principal, Head of Campus, Director of Teaching & Learning, Directors of Wellbeing, Curriculum and Wellbeing Leader, Teacher. This event is most suited to schools working with First Nations students, families and curriculum.

Description

Looking to register more than one person? Contact us at isLearn to arrange a group discount for your school.

This practical workshop will explore the challenges we face in developing a culturally competent teaching workforce and provide strategies to ensure that we provide culturally safe processes, programs and support to Aboriginal students/families, staff and non-Indigenous students. There are two parts to this course.

Part 1 will involve watching some pre-work videos that will be discussed within the workshop.  These will be distributed 2 weeks prior.

Part 2 is the face-to-face component delivered on the 22 August 2024. The workshop will discuss:

• barriers faced by teachers and schools in creating culturally safe learning environments
• understanding around issues Indigenous students and their families face in 2024
• practical strategies when working with First Nations students and families
• frameworks of practice & to incorporate Indigenous issues into curriculum.

There will be ample time for questions and answers.

AJ Williams-Tchen is an award-winning Social Worker, Nurse and Cultural Mentor. He has delivered over 700 cultural appreciation workshops since 2004, training non-Indigenous people about culture and working with individuals, families and communities. He provides cultural mentoring programs across a number of Independent schools in Victoria.

Key takeaways 

• deeper understanding of the AITSL focus on Indigenous Cultural Competence
• practical strategies to work with First Nations students and families
• understanding of issues and barriers faced by Indigenous students
• strategies for curriculum improvement to address Indigenous Cultural Competency
• deeper understanding of student support strategies
• connections with like-minded educators beyond the school.

Presenter information

AJ Williams-Tchen

AJ Williams-Tchen (Wiradjuri) is an award-winning Social Worker, Youth Worker and Nurse. He has delivered over 700 cultural appreciation workshops across Australia, training non-Indigenous people around culture and working with individuals, families and communities. 

AJ facilitates cultural mentoring programs in a number of Independent schools for Indigenous students and works with schools to develop culturally safe environments for all students and staff.  AJ has supported several schools, organisations and associations with the development of their Reconciliation Action Plan.  AJ was awarded the AASW Aboriginal Social Worker of the Year 2021, the 2023 Allied Health Awards Social Worker of the Year, and was a nominee for Victorian Australian of the Year 2024.