NT School first to try out free Indigenous content on SMART boards

Artist and graphic designer Pat Caruso wants to revolutionise Aboriginal storytelling. Collaborating with SMART technologies, he has come up with a way for students to tell their family stories.

Jeff Lowe and Pat Caruso have introduced interactive Indigenous art to a school in the Top End. Picture: Colyn DeGraaff

Pat Caruso’s mother, Eastern Arrernte woman Dr Jenni Caruso, was forcibly removed from her home in Alice Springs in the 1950s.

Mr Caruso cites this experience as a disruption to his own connection to his family’s history.

As an artist and founder of graphic design company We Create Print Deliver, Mr Caruso is still interested in reconnecting to his mother’s history through his latest endeavour.

Mr Caruso and Canada-based tech company SMART Technologies have joined forces to give First Nations children the ability to tell their own family stories digitally.

Aboriginal storytelling through SMART Boards – digital whiteboards now commonplace in most schools around Australia – is an idea Mr Caruso and SMART chief commercial officer Jeff Lowe spent a long time getting right.

Pat Caruso introduces digital storytelling at school in Santa Teresa, NT. Picture: Colyn DeGraaff

“It’s not really about technology, but about fostering stronger connections,” Mr Lowe said.

“It’s about the pivotal role technology can play in the preservation of stories and cultural heritage.”

This month ay the two men visited Ltyentye Apurte Catholic School in Santa Teresa, roughly 80km from Alice Springs, to launch their idea – allowing students to interact with their product for the first time.

“When we first met Pat, we challenged him with what we could create in terms of artwork that would capture the essence and flavour of these connections,” Mr Lowe said.

Mr Caruso said he developed Indigenous artwork for SMART Boards and designed a set of symbols to enable children to intuitively “tell” a story visually.

“There was probably about 50 or 60 First Nations students at the assembly” Mr Caruso said.

“The way they congregated around this board and engaged with the board was amazing.

“I gave like a 20 second visual of how it works and I turned around and before I knew it, kids were up there and they were drawing and they wanted to illustrate their stories.

“We did a class presentation, then a 45 minute assembly and afterwards the students were asking ‘Can we keep doing this exercise?’

“This sort of educational environment makes them feel at home and it’s what I was lacking at school.”

Jeff Lowe from SMART Technologies wants tech tools to foster connection. Picture: Colyn DeGraaff

Mr Lowe said the core business of his tech company was to take any content and make it “interactive” and “fun”.

“This is the first time we’re doing it from a cultural heritage standpoint, by doing it with First Nations content.

“So students can tell their family stories.”

For Mr Caruso, whose mother accompanied him to Alice Springs for the product launch, it is the making of history he is proud to be part of.