Over last few months IELI has gone through some big changes - including moving to a new home and welcoming new staff.
Cherbourg and Caboolture
IELI has developed its partnership with Queensland University of Technology (QUT). We have taken offices at the University’s Caboolture Campus, north of Brisbane on the Sunshine Coast. While we shall maintain our Cherbourg Campus the new Caboolture site will be the Institute’s main centre.
Our contact number at Caboolture is: (07) 5316 7462
New Staff:
IELI has doubled in size, being joined by a great group of people, all highly experienced in Indigenous Education. They are:
Chris Sarra, Cherbourg Elders and Education Leaders from around the country at the Rationshed in Cherbourg
Principals from schools in many corners of Australia were hosted in Cherbourg during October, attending a Stronger Smarter Principals Leadership program run by the Indigenous Education Leadership Institute.
The 12 participants have come from as far afield as Tjirrkarli in WA, Aurukun in Cape York Queensland and Orange in NSW to gain leadership insights from the Institute’s Director, Dr Chris Sarra, and other leading educators in Indigenous education. They come to the leadership program from urban, rural and remote schools - all with an interest in making positive change for the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander children in their schools.
Dr Sarra and his team are guiding school leaders through a program that seeks to arm them with “the belief and capacity to smash through the challenges of Indigenous education”. Many of the ideas and strategies are based on the “Strong and Smart” experiences of the Cherbourg State School during Chris’ tenure as principal there.
One participant, Kerry Wellham, principal of Waratah West Public School in NSW says: “I need to make a difference – a difference to kids, a difference to education, but even more so now I have a need to make a difference to other educational leaders…that’s why I’m here”.
And Joanne Allan from Kalgoorlie in WA says: “I am here to listen, to share, to learn. I am here because I want to be an agent of change… not alone… not just me… I want to enable and assist school communities in the Ngaanyatjarra Lands to become Stronger and Smarter”.
The Stronger Smarter Leadership program is part of an on-going engagement of the Indigenous Education Leadership Institute in providing improved educational outcomes for Indigenous children around Australia. Chris Sarra said: “This is our 6th workshop with Principals from all over the country, done with significant support from the Telstra Foundation and Sidney Myer Foundation. We are determined to play a part in transforming attitudes and beliefs about Indigenous children in schools to the extent that we will change the tide of limited expectations about our children in schools”.
Stronger Smarter Principals Leadership Program
The program is conducted 4 times a year. 2008 dates are:
Stronger Smarter Principals Leadership Program (pdf 35KB, new window)
Register for the Stronger Smarter Leadership Program (doc 31KB, new window)