The Association of Graduates in Early Childhood Studies

It isn't too late to start thinking about ways you could use a grant of $10,000 to undertake a professional development project - and perhaps this weekend is the perfect time to sit down and get started on your application!

🔥 The 2024 NAIDOC Week theme is: 'Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud'. 🎉 It celebrates the survival and relentless spirit of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. 🙌🏾 NAIDOC Week encourages all Australians to get involved–the event is celebratory, observational, and inclusive. 👂🏾 Participation isn’t a passive activity, and the best way to engage and reflect on what NAIDOC Week means may be about making an active effort to learn, listen and communicate. 🫱🏾🫲🏻 Remember that celebrating NAIDOC Week is not just about a single week—it’s about fostering ongoing understanding, respect, and Allyship. #naidocweek #keepthefireburning #PracticalReconciliation #TakeAction #AllyTraining #actionsforallies

Are you leading or managing a team of early childhood education professionals? They might be interested in the AGECS Fellowship Program for Leadership and Change. The AGECS Fellowship Program provides ECEC professionals with funds and mentoring support to undertake a professional development project. Each year, the AGECS Fellowship offers grants up to $10,000 to early childhood education leaders to pursue innovative projects within the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector. This program empowers you to bring your vision to life, whether it’s through international study tours, certifying therapy animals, attending conferences, or other creative endeavors. In exchange for this support, we invite recipients to share their project journey with the ECEC community through an article and a recorded presentation. Don’t worry—we’ll assist them in developing these resources! Explore previous recipients’ inspiring work in the AGECS Member Resources hub. Join us in advancing high-quality education by supporting the leaders who shape it. For more information, visit AGECS Fellowship Program. Eligibility: You must be an AGECS member to apply. Deadline for submissions August 16th 2024. If you have any questions please email Alex at engagement@agecs.org.au.

Today is Mabo Day, which commemorates the Mabo Decision, named after Torres Strait Islander man Eddie Koiko Mabo. The Mabo Decision saw the abolishment of ‘Terra Nullius’, aka the myth that the land we now call Australia was an unoccupied territory when the British arrived. This is a hugely important day to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, as it paved the way for the Native Title Act 1993, and recognised the custodianship of traditional lands by First Nations communities. Mabo Day also signifies the end of National Reconciliation Week each year. We know reconciliation is a journey, and it does not begin and end with National Reconciliation Week. Regardless of where you are in that journey, reconciliation requires seeking out First Nations perspectives to broaden your own horizon all throughout the year. To commemorate this Mabo Day, we would like to introduce you to some First Nations voices that you can listen and learn from, and come from outside of the early childhood community. You don’t know what you don’t know, and the only way to find out is to listen! First Nations accounts that we follow and learn from include: Clothing the Gaps - This social enterprise asks people to 'wear their values' and share interesting perspectives and news relevant for First Nations communities. Their website features a blog, which their socials often link to. They also have an education tab on their website that has heaps of helpful resources! Evolve Communities - Proprietor of the Seven Steps Reconciliation & Ally Framework, the social media channels of this consultancy, feature highly informative and varied First Nations perspectives Koori Mail Newspaper - Established in 1991, the Koori Mail is a fortnightly national newspaper reporting on the issues that matter to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Their social media channels share the headlines, and being aware of what is going on from an Indigenous perspective is hugely important. Weenthunga Health Network - A not-for-profit health network aiming for transformation of existing health care and education systems. Their social media channels share perspectives on current events and systems, through a health lens.

WARNING: This post contains images and names of Indigenous people who have died. 🌟 Today, on June 3rd, we commemorate Mabo Day and the last day of National Reconciliation Week. 👉 Eddie Mabo was a trailblazer who dedicated his life to advocating for Indigenous land rights. His relentless efforts culminated in the landmark 1992 High Court decision known as the Mabo decision. 🌱 This historic ruling overturned the unjust concept of "terra nullius," acknowledging the inherent rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to their lands and waters. It was a pivotal moment that paved the way for native title in Australia. 💔 Sadly, Eddie Mabo passed away from cancer just five months before the court's decision. However, his legacy lives on through Mabo Day, a day dedicated to honouring his tireless activism and the ongoing struggle for Indigenous land rights. 🙌 Today, let's reflect on Eddie Mabo's courage and resilience, and reaffirm our commitment to justice and Reconciliation. #MaboDay #IndigenousRights #Reconciliation #ReconciliationAustralia #PracticalReconciliation #NRW2024

AGECS has a long history as a charity organisation. In the first half of our life our charitable purpose was to purchase and maintain a holiday home and a kindergarten for vulnerable children and families. Over time this mission has morphed into providing professional learning opportunities for early childhood education professionals. However, our goal has always been to promote high quality early childhood education. When we undertook the Community Engagement and Consultation Survey (CECS) last year, we sought the professional learning wants and needs of the Victorian early childhood community. Overwhelmingly, responses showed us that practical knowledge and resources were desirable, especially ones that could help with inclusive environments and practices (you can read the full report at www.agecs.org.au/reports). With those responses in mind, last we week we launched the first professional learning event for the next chapter in AGECS’ mission. The free event, Sensational Sensory Play with Sue Crook, aims to provide a reintroduction to play and play-based learning through the lens and benefits of sensory play. The overwhelming popularity of the event saw the first release of tickets sell out within hours, and the second release of tickets is now also almost exhausted. If you follow the link below you may be able to reserve one of the final tickets available! If you are an early childhood teacher, director or educator, and don’t want to miss out on our free professional learning events, follow us on Eventbrite, Facebook or Instagram, and sign up for our newsletter inForm to hear about events when they are first launched. Check our profile for links to these pages.  If you are a professional learning provider, read our CECS report, and reach out if you think you offer training that responds to the wants and needs of early childhood educators and you want to work with us. https://lnkd.in/gBi2mHzn

It is National Reconciliation Week, and this year’s theme is ‘Now More Than Ever’. We are entering the first National Reconciliation Week since the ‘No’ vote won out in the 2023 referendum, and there is unfinished business. This week can bring that to the forefront of our thinking, our planning and our actions as we reflect on what reconciliation means to the community at this point in time.   We have the privilege of working with young children and their families. We are often the first formal setting they attend, a place where they are introduced to a new and wider community, with new and different ideas. Holding space for reconciliation, during this week and during the entire year, is so important to educate children and families. This looks different in every setting, but by making reconciliation visible, we are showing that it is important. Don’t be afraid to give something a go!   Reconciliation Australia’s Narragunnawali program has tools and resources for early learning services to use in working towards reconciliation between non-First Nations Australians and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Visit Narragunnawali at www.narragunnawali.org.au. #reconciliation #ecec

This month's inForm was delayed by one week due to the school holidays! But better late than never, the April edition of inForm should have hit your inbox this morning. If you are not subscribed but would like to be, copy and paste this hyperlink: https://lnkd.in/dW2UrE69

Fabulous to present at AERA amongst esteemed colleagues on critically important Indigenous and global perspectives of place in early childhood education.

Today's updated Closing the Gap data highlights that government action is failing to address the needs of First Nations children and families. Only 5 of 19 targets are on track, with some key targets going backwards. Children's Ground is implementing a model of First Nations-led systems change. The evidence is demonstrating that this model works to #CloseTheGap. We want to work together with state and federal governments to realise positive outcomes and close the gap. We have a First Nations-led model that works and we are inviting the government to partner with us directly, to change the status quo and deliver transformational change for First Nations people.