Green Leaves in the Red Centre
Leaders from Green Leaves Early Learning have united in Uluru for a professional development conference with a difference!
BY HEJIRA CONVERY, KINDICARE
Green Leaves Early Learning pours its heart and soul into its childcare offering, and the provider’s recent professional development conference is a perfect example of this sentiment being put into action.
Last month, Green Leaves’ Centre Directors, Operation Support Managers and Senior Leadership Team travelled to the Red Centre for their annual professional development conference, and their four days in Uluru were incredibly meaningful.
Everyone involved was keen to connect, collaborate and enrich their collective knowledge.
And given their culturally-significant location and particular conference dates, there was a special focus on deepening their understanding of Indigenous perspectives and practices.
This year’s conference was held during NAIDOC Week, and it was also perfectly timed for the launch of Green Leaves’ National Reconciliation Action Plan, which charts a strategic course towards reconciliation through real, organisation-wide action.
With all of this in mind, the conference program was carefully designed to bring people together to learn and grow on a personal and professional level.
Green Leaves’ National Operations Manager, Kirsten Berry, and Head of Marketing, Tracy Kittle, worked with National Learning, Research and Development Program Lead Partner, Dr Karen Grubb, and National Indigenous Perspectives Partners, Domonik Lowe and Kimmi Tupetagi to create a conference program that would truly engage everyone involved.
Across the four days, the conference group took part in a variety of activities centred around the concepts of yarning, learning, un-learning and re-learning.
There were sessions with local Anangu people, multimodal learning sessions, team building with traditional Indigenous games, art-making and guest speakers.
Along the way:
- Dr Karen Grubb encouraged deep thinking about the delivery of Acknowledgement of Country
- Green Leaves’ National Nutritional Program Partner, Nimmi Kumar, championed Indigenous ingredients and culinary connections
- Indigenous author and advocate, Thomas Mayo, spoke about how we can be better partners to First Nations people; and
- Several Green Leaves team members shared their personal and powerful experiences as Indigenous Australians.
There were many, many meaningful moments during the conference, and once it was over, every single attendee felt richer for the experience.
The team went home with great admiration for one another, and a very deep respect for Indigenous culture and tradition.
Everyone is keen to weave what they’ve learnt into the ‘fabric’ of Green Leaves’ communities, and they’re definitely in a good place to apply the provider’s National Reconciliation Action Plan.
Centre Director, Hayley, says, “I left Uluru feeling inspired, connected and committed to continue my own journey to reconciliation and the importance my role holds to share my newly acquired knowledge with my team and families, the wider community and in my personal life too.”
This sentiment is shared by those at the very top of the Green Leaves leadership team, and Chief Executive Officer, Mark McDonald-Smith, says, “It was inspiring and an honour to be a part of the conference. Leading a team that embodies authenticity, open-mindedness, and a willingness to learn and be changed is a privilege.
These traits create a culture where every team member feels connected, safe, valued and empowered. Equipped with our newfound knowledge and a growth mindset, I believe that, together, we’re paving the way for a bright and inclusive future.
As we lay the plans for the 2025 Centre Director Conference, I’m excited, because I know that there’s so much more to come!”
For now, Green Leaves’ 2024 professional development conference says a lot about the Green Leaves ethos, and it’s so great to see their leaders coming to the conference with open minds and leaving with full hearts.
We’re looking forward to following their strategic reconciliation journey, and if you’re searching for early learning work, or childcare, you can be sure that Green Leaves values its people and takes its societal responsibilities seriously.
