Victorian Aboriginal Education Association Inc. (VAEAI)

Program details

Program description

Learning about Aboriginal cultures and valuing the place of Aboriginal people is essential to understanding and implementing the revised Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). The VEYLDF recognises and respects Aboriginal cultures and their unique place in the heritage and future of Victoria, and acknowledges Aboriginal culture as one of the four important areas of practice. Marrung Aboriginal Education Plan 2016-2026 requires all services to embed Koorie aspirations and outcomes as core business, including early childhood services, schools and training providers.

Learning about and valuing the place of Aboriginal people enhances Victorian children's sense of place in our community, and is valuable to all early childhood services, including those that have Koorie children and families already attending, as well as those that don't yet.

VAEAI is the peak organisation for Aboriginal education and training in Victoria. VAEAI represents the Koorie Community in relation to education policy development and strategic programming at the local, state and national levels. VAEAI supports the provision of education and training that reinforces Aboriginal cultural identity and increases awareness in the wider community of Koorie culture and aspirations.

VAEAI’s Early Years Unit provides Aboriginal-inclusion professional learning and resources for educators.

Through the professional learning and resources, services are shown how to create a welcoming environment and experience for Koorie children and Koorie parents/families in relation to access (i.e. contacting services, enrolling in services, and maintaining an ongoing positive relationship with services), benefitting the learning experience of all children.

It is recommended that services work in partnership with VAEAI to ensure that cultural supports are appropriate to the local area and community.

VAEAI delivers workshops focused on embedding Koorie perspectives into everyday practice, not teaching Aboriginal culture.

Our approach supports educators to understand that Aboriginal culture is held and taught by Aboriginal people and community, while early years services have a responsibility to ensure their environments, curriculum and practices are culturally safe, respectful and inclusive.

Through practical strategies and real-life application, VAEAI workshops guide educators to confidently embed Koorie perspectives across their service, strengthening engagement with children, families and community, and creating meaningful, lasting change in practice.

Detailed costs

VAEAI currently delivers six different professional learning workshops. Workshop costs vary depending on the duration, content, facilitation requirements, and resources provided.

• 1-hour workshop: $1,650 (GST inclusive)
• 3-hour workshops (including resources and Yarning Circle): up to $6,600 (GST inclusive)
• The Best Practice Protocols Guide Workshop with Yarning Circle is delivered as a 2-part workshop with a total duration of 5 hours. The cost for this workshop is $6,600 (GST inclusive) and includes resources as well.

Please note that VAEAI workshop pricing is guided by our facilitators' professional facilitation rates, expertise, and resource requirements.

Contact provider or visit website for further details.

Payment schedule

Once an invoice is provided to a service, it must be paid in full.

Cancellation, refund and reschedule policies

Services are eligible for full refunds if workshops are not delivered, alternatively a new date will be set.

Implementation considerations

• Target population: educators in kindergarten settings who require support in the area of Aboriginal cultural awareness and inclusion.
• Staffing: services should consider the cost of backfill when determining the cost of accessing this resource.
• Factors to consider: services are encouraged consider how staff may be able to share the practice knowledge they obtain from this resource with others at the service. This will ensure that improved approaches to practice or innovative ideas can be implemented across the service as a whole.

VEYLDF alignment

Item uses these practice principles

• Reflective practice
• Partnerships with families
• High expectations for every child
• Respectful relationships and responsive engagement
• Equity and diversity
• Assessment for learning and development
• Integrated teaching and learning approaches
• Partnerships with professionals.

Item responds to these sub-outcomes

Not applicable.