Nurturing Culture
As an addition to the requirements for all Early Childhood Education & Care services across Victoria and Australia, our service will embrace further initiatives in working towards reconciliation and being culturally aware. This is at the forefront of Yirram Burron’s mission to provide culturally safe and rich learning environments our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Through this, our entire team of experienced educators will undertake training in various programs including;
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Cultural Awareness
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Embedding Aboriginal Perspectives into the Early Years Learning environment
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Employing teaching strategies of the ‘8 Ways of Learning’ to facilitate Aboriginal pedagogy within the program.
Yirram Burron embeds Aboriginal Perspectives throughout the learning environment, with the use of local artist artworks, furnishings, processes, practices, resources and materials. All cultural celebrations and historical moments are embedded within the program, alongside engaging community members into a collaborative learning journey.
Yirram Burron is open to children and families of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background across the Ballarat district.
Ngarrwa Dja
( Learning on Country )
Ngarrwa Dja, also known as Learning on Country, is an educational session held outdoors on country. Our children are encouraged to investigate, explore, learn and play while connecting to the land in a natural setting.
All children deserve the right to ‘be’ in nature, with unstructured play. In a natural learning environment the children can explore the Country on which we play, and connect with the local surroundings, while making new discoveries and learnings.
Teaching within nature, similar to the popular European based Bush Kinder, has been in practice for over 10 years, however, teaching and learning on Country has been a traditional child-rearing and educational practice for our Indigenous Australians for over 60,000 years.
Our Aboriginal Elders have been teaching generations of children educational concepts (math, science, literacy) through connectedness to the land and its resources. Ngarrwa Dja is a program designed by the BADAC Early Years team and is already in practice at our Perridak Burron service in Brown Hill. It provides all children with the opportunity to learn through, connect with and care for Country, through embedding Aboriginal perspectives and traditional land care practices.
The benefits of play and learning outdoors are endless. Children who spend more unstructured time outdoors in nature have reduced anxiety and stress, improved cognitive development, strengthened physical skills alongside improved emotional wellbeing.
Through exploring, investigating and learning on Country, children will be supported in enhancing social, emotional and language skills.
Actively participating in nature play programs such as our Ngarrwa Dja, provides the children with the opportunity to be caretakers of Country, enabling a deep respect and understanding of the environment and land on which we live and play.
Bupup Balak Wayipungang
Meaning: Helping / supporting the young kids
Ballarat & District Aboriginal Co-operative (BADAC), in conjunction with Yirram Burron Early Learning, will facilitate fortnightly cultural education sessions, led by BADAC’s Bupup Balak Wayipungang initiative Wayipungti (meaning Supporters). The initiative will guide and assist our Teachers and Educators to deliver kindergarten programs that are culturally safe, engaging and appropriate.
The Bupup Balak Wayipungang initiative will assist our program in:
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Enhancing access and participation of Koorie children in the kindergarten program
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Promote and assist in the delivery of educational programs that promote Aboriginal culture
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Support the attendance of Koorie children who are enrolled in our programs
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Encourage the involvement and participation of Koorie parents, families and carers in the development of educational programs
Elder Program
Yirram Burron Early Learning is a central place for our Aboriginal community, where families and community members are welcome to collaborate alongside us in guiding each child’s learning journey.
Intergenerational learning is a way to consolidate the passing down of knowledge, wisdom and insight from generation to generation. At Yirram Burron we welcome our Elders to join our sessions to share stories, music, traditions, experiences, activities and love.
Each program at Yirram Burron will embrace Elders from families once a fortnight to join the children in various settings including at the centre, alongside excursions, to our Ngarrwa Dja sessions and to celebrations.
