Bridge Rd Kinder takes out Victorian Multicultural Award for Excellence

Bridge Road Kindergarten was recently chosen as the winner for the Early Childhood Education Award in the 2021 Multicultural Awards for Excellence for its family-centered approach to developing innovative practices that support settlement outcomes for newly arrived Victorians from migrant and refugee backgrounds. 

The kindergarten was one of several education settings acknowledged for their work in strengthening multiculturalism in a ceremony hosted by the Victorian Multicultural Commission earlier this week. 

The Victorian Multicultural Commission coordinates the awards with the Department of Education and Training assessing education award nominations.

Bridge Road were acknowledged for their efforts in increasing educator knowledge, breaking down barriers of engagement between families and educators and increasing the capacity and confidence of educators to make appropriate referrals.

The Kindergarten has also implemented several programs to support the local community, including building a translated resource library and providing emergency food, clothing and materials for home learning.

In January 2020, the Bridge Road Kindergarten Community Table supported almost 300 families by donating resources to families so they could attend the kindergarten program.

Foundation House’s Kinder to School Transition Project was highly commended by the judging panel for its efforts in working in partnership with the Department of Education and Training to develop the Kinder to School Project: a community-based, co-designed initiative to improve early childhood development and school readiness for pre-school children and their families who are of refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds.

The Kinder to School project worked with four different language communities (Arabic, Dinka, Hakha Chin and Karen) to consult, plan, develop, translate, trial and create resources for families and professionals. 

The Project developed 6 free resources in 4 languages and widely distributed them in the community. The innovative program has raised awareness regarding the needs of refugee and asylum seeker background families in transitioning from kindergarten to school.

For more information on the winners and finalists please refer to VMC Multicultural Awards for Excellence.