A Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) and the Principles of Reggio Emilia

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A sense of welcome is a value in education that many of us would declare that we consider and aspire to uphold. Do we give ourselves pause to reflect on the critical nature of welcome and what this entails? Is it a taken-for-granted practice that we assume is being realised to its full potential?These webinars will expose participants to some big ideas alongside inspiring and current practice-based research that will invigorate current understandings of the impact of the pedagogy of welcome.What does it mean to welcome, and how this enacts out values and beliefs? What and whom do we welcome? What does that look and feel like?Do we welcome difference, discomfort, multiple perspectives?How do reciprocal relationships shape identity and culture?How might the consideration of welcome support the work required for inclusion and reconciliation? As we consider the potential impact and learnings for education in response to recent global events, engaging in this series will allow us to reflect on our environments and move from conversation to action.Reconciliation is an ongoing process of strengthening respectful relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples. This commitment can be realised through the development and implementation of a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), involving a gradual and important journey of listening, truth telling, relationships, dialogue and learning.Join Leanne Mits from Pope Road Kindergarten, Blackburn, to hear about the journey of this kindergarten community’s experiences in developing their public declaration of commitment to Reconciliation, including strategies used to introduce Reconciliation to the kindergarten staff and community, from beginning steps, and through challenges and triumphs.Participants will hear how this teaching team and community engage with Reconciliation Australia’s, Narragunnawali (pronounced narra-gunna-wally) platform and the required sections of a RAP (Relationships, Respect and Opportunities), in relation to the classroom, kindergarten and community. Pope Road Kindergarten’s RAP story articulates some of the possibilities that lie between the development and implementation of a RAP and the principles of Reggio Emilia.