Holistic Indigenous early years initiative set grow and create jobs in Tennant Creek
ONE of the Territory’s most successful Indigenous education initiatives is set to transform Tennant Creek when it expands to the town
Northern Territory
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ONE of the Territory’s most successful Indigenous education initiatives is set to transform Tennant Creek when it expands to the town this year.
Community-led program Indi Kindi, run by the Moriarty Foundation, is a holistic initiative for children aged under five that educates students on health, wellbeing and more while on country.
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Indi Kindi currently operates in Borroloola and Robinson River, where it reaches 80 per cent of Aboriginal children in the areas, and is slated to open in Tennant Creek in the second half of 2021.
Moriarty Foundation co-founder Ros Moriarty said a partnership with UNICEF Australia allowed the program to be extended to Tennant Creek, and enabled it to continue achieving 11 of the 16 Closing the Gap targets.
“The goal is that all Australian children, no matter how remote they are or the different social circumstances, they should all have access to the same opportunities in childhood,” she said.
Indi Kindi is led by an advisory group in the respective regions, made up of local leaders, elders, families and other members of the community.
It uses a ‘walking learning’ model where students are educated on country rather than in classrooms.
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“Women and men in remote regions always tell us you can’t read culture, you can’t learn culture sitting in a classroom. You have to walk culture,” Ms Moriarty said. The Tennant Creek program will employ eight local staff.
UNICEF Australia director of Australian partnerships Nicole Breeze was confident Indi Kindi’s strong community-led model would transform education in Tennant Creek and have flow-on effects for the town.
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