Traditionally, ‘community engagement’ has been thought of as an activity that is controlled by the school to gain feedback – often on decisions that have already been made. The Stronger Smarter Approach is a fundamental rethinking of community engagement towards a dynamic vision of community empowerment. This moves from ‘engagement’ as an activity to solve problems or ‘modify the out … Read More
High expectations for all students is widely recognised as an essential element in improving Indigenous education outcomes. The importance of educators’ recognising that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can achieve as well as any other student is nothing new. What is not always recognised, however, is that for an Indigenous student, being smart at school doesn’t have to mean … Read More
As we have developed our Stronger Smarter Approach framework, one of the questions we asked ourselves is ‘When does the Stronger Smarter Approach work best?’ At the Institute, we love data. We love to know what our participants find useful about our programs and what they do in their schools after they leave a program. The data we’ve collected over … Read More
“So will you be remembered as a deadly teacher, the one who said, ‘I reckon you can do this?’ Well you get to make that choice. This is the power and the magic of our profession as teachers.” In his 2012 Keynote address at a MATSITI conference, Dr Chris Sarra asked, “How will you be remembered as a teacher?” Dr … Read More
Results from the 2020 Stronger Smarter Census suggest that if we are to enact transformational change for Indigenous students in our schools, everyone needs to be on board with a collective vision and mindset of ‘high expectations.’ Census respondents, our alumni from the Stronger Smarter Leadership Program (SSLP), view the Stronger Smarter Approach (SSA) as something to be implemented beyond … Read More
Everyone who works in the Early Years spaces knows the importance of supporting Jarjums (children) through the series of adjustments from one Early Years educational space to the next. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Jarjums, there is an additional layer of adjustments: the cultural and world views they bring from their home life can be very different to those … Read More
What does the Stronger Smarter Approach (SSA) look and feel like when it is enacted in a school? In the SSA, we describe the three spheres of ‘personal’, ‘school’ and ‘community’. When the SSA in enacted, we see these spheres coming together as a connecting space of innovation and creation. This cross-over or flow space between separate moving parts is … Read More
“I’m getting stronger and our voices are getting stronger. We need to take every opportunity that’s opening up for becoming more confident.” When Tolita Dolzan implemented Stronger Smarter in the classroom, her students told her that her lessons were awesome and learning Maths was fun. Tolita is a participant in the Institute’s Teachers of STEM Initiative (ToSI) which is supporting … Read More
The Stronger Smarter Approach (SSA) is grounded in the belief that every educator can make a difference to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in their classrooms. Our programs ask participants to find their own space where they can challenge the status quo and uncover their own role in a collective ‘responsibility for change’. This is exactly what is … Read More
We aim to nurture a strong and positive sense of being Aboriginal in a contemporary society: Strong and smart. The film In My Blood It Runs follows the life of ten-year-old Arrente/Garrwa boy Dujuan. Dujuan is a child healer, a good hunter and speaks three languages. He enjoys being at school. But his strengths and knowledges are not recognised in … Read More
