Shooting Stars staff members Helen Ockerby and Rose Whitau are set to board a plane to Canada this weekend, as awareness about the education program reaches international borders.
Community Development Coordinators for the Kimberley and Mid-West Gascoyne Regions respectively, Ockerby and Whitau have been invited to address the World Indigenous People’s Conference on Education in Toronto.
The pair will present Shooting Stars’ world first ‘Yarning Circles’ method, a unique longitudinal study designed specifically for the program.
Shooting Stars Executive Officer, Fran Haintz, says the invitation is wonderful recognition of the continued success and growth of the program.
“This is a significant milestone for our program and we are incredibly proud to be presenting our work in such esteemed company,” Haintz said.
“One of the hallmarks of Shooting Stars is its innovative approach and the Yarning Circles method is a perfect example, designed to adapt to the environment in which it exists and establish an even greater level of engagement with our students.”
“Helen and Rose, along with the Program Coordinators in our six delivery sites have experienced some outstanding progress to date and we are excited to see how both the method and these results are received at the conference.”
The Yarning Circles serve a dual purpose, enabling the evaluation of the progress and efficacy of the program, and providing a platform for communities and participants to drive the direction of their local program by creating activities that directly influence outcomes.
Repeated each year, the Yarning Circles will create a qualitative record of progress for all students.
The World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education commences on Monday, with Glass Jar Australia Chairperson Professor Colleen Hayward AM also in attendance.
For more information on the conference, visit www.WIPCE2017.com
Shooting Stars would like to thank Community Partner Horizon Power for their support of the trip to the World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education.
