Resource kit grants now open

More than 13,000 resource kits have been downloaded from The Healing Foundation website since the Schools Resource Kit was launched last year.

The kits have enabled young people to better understand the history of Stolen Generations survivors and the impact of intergenerational trauma. “We’ve seen a national shift in perception around Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues and this is being driven, in part, by a thirst for more Indigenous knowledge at the school level.” said The Healing Foundation Chair Professor Steve Larkin.

Schools provided feedback on how they have shared lesson plans through stories, music, poetry, dance, art and writing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

“Many students and staff have changed their attitude towards Aboriginal people as they understand that the descendants of the Stolen Generations are suffering from trauma and more is required to help with the healing process.”
– Alta College, WA

“The talk by Sylvia Campbell was invaluable for our Indigenous and Non-Indigenous students at Mount Brown Public School. This was because they were able to bring the prior knowledge they had gained in class and listen with empathy and knowledge. There is no greater skill that we can teach our students than empathy.”
– Mt Brown Public School, NSW

“At Safety Bay Primary School, we have been working with a local Aboriginal community member to support our staff to embed Aboriginal culture within our school environment and classrooms. We are in the process of developing a Cultural Outdoor Learning Area. We now get to include a designated area which will be a focal point for conversations around reconciliation and the Stolen Generations. The area consists of a plaque with wording to permanently acknowledge the Stolen Generations, surrounded by the symbolic Native Hibiscus plant. This area will provide ongoing opportunities for discussions around this topic into the future.”

– Safety Bay Primary School, WA

Stories from successful Schools resource kit grant recipients from 2019 are below.

Christian Brothers’ High School, Lewisham

Christian Brothers’ High School in Lewisham held its event on Tuesday 28 May 2019. The school invited Stolen Generations survivors Uncle Michael Welsh and Uncle Bobby Young from the Kinchela Boys Home to a whole-school assembly attended by 2000 people.

‘The two uncles from Kinchela Boys home, Uncle Michael and Uncle Bobby along with Aunty Amanda who accompanied them, were absolutely fantastic. Their presence, the 20 minute video shown to the whole school and their address to our students and staff was extraordinary!

‘We are most grateful for their time, openness and the healing they offered our community during such a significant week. It was particularly poignant that the guests remained at our school to speak with many of our Aboriginal students following the assembly.

‘They partook in a smoking ceremony and mentored our young lads, offering them such insightful and genuine advice about the importance of education, speaking up and seeking support and encouraging them all to achieve their potential. This was just phenomenal.’
– Christian Brothers’ High School Lewisham

Yarraville West Primary School -Victoria

Yarraville West Primary School in Victoria held its event on Friday 26 July. The school invited Stolen Generations survivor Ian Hamm to share his personal story with all grade 3 – 6 students.

“We are very grateful to Ian for sharing his story, which has had such an impact on our students’ and their understanding of this time in Australia’s history.” – Yarraville West Primary School

Finn, Chloe and all of the students from 5/6 Aimee worked together on a response, which they gave to Ian on behalf of Yarraville West Primary School.

Dear Ian, On behalf of Yarraville West Primary we’d like to thank you for the time you spent here. Thank you for coming and telling us about your life story. We’d like to apologise for our ancestors’ mistakes and assumptions about the Aboriginal community. And we’d like to thank you for your take-home message ‘don’t ever make fun of someone because of their race’. We know it’s not easy to share your life story. We think it’s very glorious that you are helping the Aboriginal community move forward and informing places like our school about things like you described in your life story. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. Sincerely, Finn, Chloe & and 5/6 Aimee.