Story House Early Learning is celebrating NAIDOC Week with its Reconciliation Action Plan well in place.  

NAIDOC Week 2024 is in full swing, and one childcare provider that’s definitely celebrating First Nations history, culture and achievements, is Story House Early Learning. 

Story House is a great champion of inclusivity and equality, and although they’ve always cared about Indigenous perspectives and the relationships between Australians, this NAIDOC Week is their first with a formal Reconciliation Action Plan.  

If you’re not familiar with the ‘RAP,’ then basically, it’s a strategic document that outlines actions towards reconciliation.  

Story House created their organisational wide Reflect RAP by consulting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities, employees and stakeholders to come up with a plan that would truly reflect their values and goals for reconciliation.  

Their Reflect RAP was developed with a lot of input from Story House educators, who were actively involved in the RAP Committee. 

And instead of being a straight-up ‘To Do’ list, Story House's RAP is a sensitive document that’s designed to guide the organisation as they foster a culture of ongoing learning, growth and action towards reconciliation. 

Head of Early Learning, Suzie Wood, explains that Story House, “Focused on building relationships, increasing cultural awareness, and creating opportunities for engagement and empowerment” when creating their Reflect RAP, and they have high hopes for it. 

She says, “By incorporating Indigenous perspectives and feedback, our RAP aims to drive meaningful and sustainable change within our organisation, and contribute to building a more inclusive and equitable society for all.” 

Story House officially launched their Reflect RAP in early June, and every one of their almost 50 centres is now part of the organisation’s formal reconciliation process. 

Educators have been guided by the RAP when developing the early learning program, which incorporates cultural responsiveness and social-emotional learning. 

And every Story House service now has a central place that connects the organisational wide Reflect RAP with the service. 

In this space, the whole childcare community is encouraged to learn about Story House’s RAP and contribute to the reconciliation process, and each service also has a Coolamon sitting near their RAP information. 

Suzie explains that, “Coolamons were traditionally used by Aboriginal women to carry water, fruit and nuts, and also to cradle babies, so we invite children, families and the community to share or place items in their service’s Coolamon to allow for discussion around culture through real-world engagement.”   

Lots of great conversations and special learning moments have already emerged, and it’s fair to say that Story House’s Reflect RAP is getting a great rap!  

The children are loving their RAP-infused learning programs (not to mention the Coolamons), and there’s been lots of positive feedback from families who are enjoying engaging with their young learners on a deep level.  

Suzie says, “Community members have also recognised the RAP's ability to promote cross-cultural understanding and bridge gaps between diverse groups.” 

And, of course, Story House’s educators and leaders feel proud to be part of an organisation that truly cares about reconciliation and genuinely wants to forge a great future for Australia.  

Suzie says, “As an organisation, Story House believes reconciliation is part of the healing process, which embraces empathy and compassion, and fosters an understanding to work towards a harmonious society.  

“Our people are responsible for educating the next generation, and we believe we can influence, connect and build bridges of unity, to create a more equitable world in the future.’  

All in all, it’s great to see Story House putting their Reflect RAP into action and taking steps towards reconciliation in this country. 

Because, although we know reconciliation won’t happen overnight (or during one childcare day), Australia’s future will be brighter when we all make an effort to connect, care and learn. 

This NAIDOC Week, there are many ways to do this, both in the community and in the childcare space. 

And if you’d love to experience a Story House service (and put something in their Coolamon!), it’s easy to search for your nearest centre using the KindiCare app or kindicare.com