Culture is Life’s Aboriginal educators delivered vocational and higher education providers with teacher training prior to a national roll out of The Australian Dream curriculum. An initiative in SEDA Groups commitment to strengthening Indigenous perspectives and knowledges for all staff and the young people they reach.
The Australian Dream Educational Resources were written by Aboriginal educators and informed by a collective of First Nations people to extend the critical messaging and lived experiences of Adam Goodes and other First Nations Australian’s in The Australian Dream film.
‘The team of dedicated educators at Culture Is Life have provided SEDA with skills and insight to increase our understanding of First Nations people, history and culture. Through a range of activities, we’ve engaged with over 1,000 SEDA staff and students across Victoria, NSW, SA, WA and NT to capture learnings and develop actions to move forward in SEDA’s reconciliation journey. We highly recommend engaging with the online resources and training provided by Culture Is Life.” Jethro Calma-Halt, National Indigenous Manager SEDA.
Culture is Life’s Aboriginal educators, Belinda Duarte, Thara Brown, Shelley Ware and Brady Cooper developed the sessions with the aim to:
- Inspire life-long connections to the founding ancestral stories of this country and encourage teachers to reflect on their own ancestral stories
- Encourage honest conversations on teachers understanding of Indigenous culture and their own experiences and education with their students
- Build confidence and competence in teachers to facilitate learning of the key themes; cultural identity, history and truths, racism, resilience and reconciliation
- Advocate for place- based initiatives to connect and positively impact their community’s relationship with First
Nations people, culture and history. - Teacher’s pre-survey reflections indicated that 70% of teachers rated themselves as having ‘a little knowledge’ of First Nations Culture in Australia, which we hope to shift dramatically by providing further training and access to resources for educators nationally.
‘The Australian Dream discusses the historical and social impact of colonialism and effects of long term institutionalised racism in Australia. It holds a mirror up to its Australian audience and asks us to address the casual and relaxed attitudes towards racist views within sporting cultures and beyond.’ A SEDA teacher’s reflection after watching the film.
The Australian Dream Educational Resources are available for free at ABC Education.
Connect with us to discuss professional development opportunities for your school, community or workplace.
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The 2025 Fellows just wrapped an incredible week in Garramilla on Larrakia Country, a week of reflection, storytelling, healing and deep connection with community and Country.
From Uncle Dr Richard Fejo’s Saltwater Ceremony, to SEWB learnings with Mark Nannup, values grounding with Aunty Steff, storytelling with Gen Grieves, visits to Children’s Ground and Minramana Community, and a beautiful bush medicine workshop with Aunty Cheryl, every day was packed with culture, growth and purpose.
We closed with a powerful circle led by Dr Carmen Cubillo and heartfelt ‘Who You?’ presentations that brought the cohort even closer.
Huge love to all our First Nations hosts and facilitators for welcoming us so generously.
❤️🤎🖤
Join award-winning filmmaker Rachel Perkins and esteemed historian Henry Reynolds at the launch of The Australian Wars book tomorrow night. After sold out launch events in Sydney and Melbourne, the conversation now heads to The Australian War Memorial on Ngunnawal Country in Canberra.
Rachel has long called for First Nations people who died in Frontier Wars conflicts – as well as colonists who were killed – to be officially recognised by this institution ❤️🖤🤎
Co-edited with Stephen Gapps, Mina Murray, and Henry Reynolds, this ground breaking book was conceived by Rachel Perkins following her award-winning documentary series of the same name, produced by Blackfella Films for SBS. 🎥✨
Image credit: Dylan River
@rachelperkinsau @allenandunwin @stephen.gapps @_mina.murray
📚 Launching The Australian Wars Book!
Huge congratulations to everyone involved in creating The Australian Wars book, being launched around the country this week!
Co-edited with Stephen Gapps, Mina Murray, and Henry Reynolds, the book was conceived by the incredible Rachel Perkins following her award-winning documentary series produced by Blackfella Films for SBS. 🎥✨
The book builds on the meticulous research conducted for the documentary series, and covers Frontier Wars battles across all the states and territories. It’s a hugely valuable resource for history teachers, and essential reading for all Australians to progress truth-telling in this country. ❤️🖤🤎
Look out for launch events happening in:
Gadigal Country (Sydney)
Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung Country (Melbourne)
Ngunnawal Country (Canberra) ... and hopefully more to come!
🔍Look it up! Don’t miss this important work.
@rachelperkinsau @allenandunwin @stephen.gapps @_mina.murray Henry Reynolds
Don’t miss this! Tomorrow night in Naarm!
We’re so proud that our Education Consultant and Fullaship Elder, Aunty Stephanie Armstrong OAM, will be in conversation with Mervyn Bishop and Tim Dobbyn to launch the illustrated biography; Black, White + Colour!
Mervyn Bishop took one of the most significant photos in Australian history: Gough Whitlam pouring a handfull of sand into the hands of Vincent Lingiari. As Australia’s first Aboriginal press photographer, his story is a must-hear.
Still a few tickets left - book via trybooking!
Avenue Bookstore, Elsternwick. It’s FREE!
Leyla is a proud Noongar woman who works to amplify the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in Victoria. From advocating for strength-based mentoring programs to representing young mob in key policy forums, her work is deeply rooted in community and cultural strength.
She is a graduate of the 2022 Fullaship Program, a three-time Melbourne Fashion Week model, and has represented Australia at the World Indigenous Suicide Prevention Conference. Having overcome immense adversity, Leyla is committed to breaking cycles and creating spaces for young people to see their worth, pursue their dreams, and step into opportunities that were never designed for them. Above all, she carries forward the values of love, care, and integrity instilled in her by her Nan, whose legacy she continues to honor in all that she does.
📣The school year is flying, but there’s still time to bring our 2025 NAIDOC Education Resources into your classroom!
Here’s a peak at some engaging activities for Early Learning to Year 10, aligned with this year’s theme, ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy.’ Designed to be used all year round!
❤️💛🖤
Download Now: Find the official resources (developed by Culture is Life, National NAIDOC Committee, and ABC Education) on our website.
Share Your Voice: Used them already? We want to hear your experience! Complete our quick feedback survey.
🔗 Links in bio!
Professional development webinars for teaching The Australian Wars are now live on our YouTube channel! 📺
Access some of our best discussions anytime and share these essential resources with your colleagues ✨
Deepen your understanding and boost your confidence with Rachel Perkins and our team of Aboriginal educators! 🫶🏽
🔗 Link in bio!
Bek is a proud Wakaya woman, born and raised on Wadawurrung Country in Geelong. In recent years, she has lived and worked across Darwin, Brisbane, and now the Gold Coast.
At the heart of Bek’s work is a deep commitment to using her voice to empower others—especially young people—to embrace their power, identity, and creativity through the mediums that speak to them.
Fullaship Expressions of Interest Now Open!
👉🏽Link in bio
