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There will be strong indigenous representation at Learning Choices 2006 with input by the young people themselves along with high achieving educators, program co-ordinators, researchers and policy makers.

One of the Expo's Keynote Speakers' on Day 1 is Chris Sarra, former Principal at Cherbourg State School, whose experiences have seen him donned 2004's Queenslander of the Year and author of the well reputed indigenous paper 'Young, Black and Deadly'.

The Expo Dinner on Wednesday, May 24th is imbued with an Indigenous Theme and will feature the Gubbi Gubbi Dance Troupe. The GUBBI GUBBI DANCE is a group of Indigenous artists from the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. Most members are direct decendants of the local Gubbi Gubbi people. They have been performing together for the past 10 years and have built a reputation as one of the best Aboriginal dance troupes in South East Qld. Gubbi Gubbi Dance present a magical display of traditional song and dance that leaves the audience spellbound. Gubbi Gubbi Dance feels very proud to be able to share this ancient culture with the community and have performed at many special events both locally and nationally including: Sydney 2000 Olympic Games , the opening ceramony at the Goodwill games and the official welcome to Queen Elizabeth II at CHOGM. They have also been blessed to have travelled overseas to Europe , South Korea, South America and Vanuatu.

Carrying through the indigenous theme, and focussed on what is working, Learning Choices will cover topical issues including:

CONCURRENT SESSIONS   SESSION GUIDE PD: Professional Development Session Participants can expect to learn new skills in this session FC - Fierce Conversation A facilitated discussion around a specifi c topic with a maximum of 15 participants. W - Workshop This session demonstrates successful working models and examines how to replicate. PD 1.1 THE TEENAGE BRAIN Marcia Vallance Principal, Sunning Hill Education and Training Centre, Lidcombe NSW Creating a learning environment that caters for students presenting challenging behaviours and learning difficulties is one of the most important issues facing alternative learning settings. Understanding the effects of chronic or repeated stress in early childhood on brain functions and its impact on behaviour is a crucial factor for teachers of these 'at risk' students. As the brain develops, it is crucial for the child to receive the stimulus at the right time to reach full potential. New research in brain development concludes there are two ten year periods of behaviour development for children. The second ten year development in the teenage years is of particular interest to teachers in early secondary schools. This second phase of brain development may provide another chance for 'at risk' students to take control of their behaviour.     PD 1.2 DEVELOPING POLICY, PLANNING AND ADVOCACY SKILLS Eric Sidoti Dusseldorp Skills Forum As much as practitioners might just want to be left to get on with the job, we all know that our programs, if not the creatures of Government policies, are nurtured, nudged or maybe manacled by them. How are Government policies shaped? Is there a place for practitioners in shaping them? How can these skills be developed without reducing innovation & initiative?     PD 1.3 CROSSING CULTURES - A HIDDEN HISTORY AN ABORIGINAL PERSPECTIVE (A STORY THAT'S SELDOM TALKED ABOUT) Muriel Eddleston Project Officer for Crossing Cultures for Education Queensland. We see the world not as it is but as we are. What we see can be affected by background or by what it is surrounded by. Our perceptions then become our reality. The Crossing Cultures Workshop will allow you to discover the story yourself, via pictorial posters, that Legislative Acts and Policies had on Land, Life, Identity, Culture & Clashes of Aboriginal people since invasion and colonisation. It is not about blaming or looking for sympathy but simply sharing our story.     FC 1.4 WHAT DO WE MEAN BY SUCCESS ANYWAY? Facilitated by Reg Barton, Assistant Director Educational Programs, City East @ Randwick, TAFE, NSW Do we measure success in terms of employment/training outcomes, personal growth, funding for the project, partnerships? What are the qualitative and quantitative data people use to measure and demonstrate success? A 'show and tell' session (all contributions welcome).     FC 1.5 CONCENTRATING THE PROBLEM – ARE WE DOING KIDS A FAVOUR? Facilitated by Graeme Speight (tbc) Principal, Rosetta High School, Tasmania Should we be trying to make schools all inclusive or should alternatives be offered separately? Is there a middle ground? The inclusive versus alternative debate.     FC 1.6 RAISING THE BAR FOR INDIGENOUS LEARNERS Facilitated by: Joann Schmider Director for the Indigenous Support and Development Branch, Qld Department of Child Safety How do we raise expectations of success, without making it so difficult that failure is almost guaranteed? What are some of the programs being used to tackle this issue, how can they be used in other areas? Come and share your ideas.     W 1.7 WHITE MIGHT BLACK RIGHTS Will Davis Centre Education Program, Logan QLD Dale Murray Principle Edmund Rice Education Flexible Learning Centre The education system in Australia is failing Indigenous people but there are many programs of hope – Centre Education Program (CEP) is one of these. ‘The Unit’ CEP is an Indigenous Education Empowerment Program that incorporates mainstream syllabi and standards but inculcates a black perspective of empowerment. The Unit is a success story in education but has only grown and developed through conversation, compromise and confl ict with white systemic demands and stereotyping of Indigenous people. Like the bushfire principle of life, death and regrowth white Australia can only hope to enhance the learning outcomes of Indigenous students through acceptance of difference and relinquishing power. This workshop outlines the work of the Unit and the Principal of the school will discuss how it has developed within the school environment.     W 1.8 USING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY TO ENGAGE YOUNG PEOPLE IN EDUCATION Stephen McVey Manager, Flexelearning Virtual Campus, Mandurah WA To address the retention and participation of compulsory students in regional Western Australia, a completely different approach has been developed; the establishment of a Virtual Campus, Flexelearning. Flexelearning Virtual Campus offers an opportunity for young people to access positive educational outcomes   W 1.9 TRIPLE CARE FARM: INTEGRATED SERVICE RESPONSES IN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION Gabriella Holmes Supervising Psychologist, Mission Australia: Triple Care Farm and Norman Holmes Education Coordinator, Mission Australia Triple Care Farm Triple Care Farm, through Mission Australia, provides a residential alcohol and other drugs rehabilitation program for young people (16-24 years). This unique three-month program works with consumers from across Australia. One of the major issues facing the students is access to appropriate education. Most participants have left school before completing Year 9 and have had negative learning experiences. This workshop will explore how the program responds to engaging young people in new learning experiences, integrating a rehabilitation and education program and supporting participants to continue engaging in education when they return to the community.     W 1.10 A COMMUNITY APPROACH TO SUPPORTING YOUNG PEOPLE - THE MACARTHUR YOUTH COMMITMENT Kevin Garrick Principal, Sarah Redfern High School, Western Sydney NSW Peter Raymond Co-ordinator, Macarthur Youth Commitment The impact of a collaborative regional approach to supporting school to work transition for ‘at risk youth’ is showcased in this session. Macarthur Youth Commitment has demonstrated improved outcomes and many benefi ts in the region which covers three local government areas in Southwest Sydney. Macarthur Youth Commitment has been a strategic umbrella organisation with whole of government and community support developing a co-ordinated community response to regional youth transition needs. The impact of programs, resources, regional research, mentoring networks and partnerships will be explored. Difficulties, issues and tips will be discussed.     W 1.11 A SCHOOL-BASED APPROACH TO SOCIAL INCLUSION FOR ABORIGINAL STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES - THE SWAN NYUNGAR SPORTS EDUCATION PROGRAM Geoff Holt Deputy Principal Balga Senior High School, WA Rob Simons National Manager Strategic Research and Social Policy, The Smith Family The presentation will focus on a fi ve-year demonstration project of The Smith Family, the Swan Nyungar Sports Education Program, which supplements the capacity of schools to meet the special learning needs of Indigenous students. The evaluation of the first year of the program has shown significant improvements in the retention and achievement rates of the students and has also highlighted a number of challenges in the meeting and mixing of cultures. Cultural challenges – both Indigenous / non-Indigenous and in relation to competing approaches to educational practice -- have surfaced especially in fi ve areas: pedagogy; curriculum design; engagement of families and elders; the relation between the program and non-program staff; and administrative fl exibility. The workshop will focus on data collected from both the classroom and program levels with synopses of best practice, and further recommendations. PD 2.1 SUSTAINABILITY, PARTNERSHIPS AND FUNDING – SECURING AND STRETCHING THE FUNDING DOLLAR Linda Farrington Co-ordinator, Studentworks, TAS What drives community partnerships? Who can your organisation form positive partnerships with? Why would an organisation partner your own? Where can you find community partners? Sustainability is an issue for most programs. This session examines whether community partnerships can offer some assistance in the stretching of the funding dollar. We look at some research on how community partnerships can add value to educational programs offering Learning Choices and discuss resources that can be used to inform and develop these partnerships. Finally we will collaborate to develop a blueprint for the development of partnerships with the intention of making the most of the funding dollar.     PD 2.2 BENCHMARKS FOR GOOD PRACTICE Bernadette Or B3 Consulting The Dusseldorp Skills Forum has supported the development of a simple, interactive tool that will assist programs to assess their performance against key indicators. This online tool has been developed after extensive consultations with practitioners in the Learning Choices fi eld, and is aimed at providing programs with a means to continuously measure and improve their performance over time. By completing this assessment, programs will have a report that outlines areas where they do well and areas where strengthening is required. Where appropriate, links to useful resources are provided within this tool to aid the process of self-improvement. By attending this workshop, participants will gain some insight into how to use this tool to embark on an organizational performance improvement journey.     PD 2.3 YOUTH VOICE AND PARTICIPATION IN PRACTICE Andrew Apostolia, Executive Director, Business and Development Manager, Portable Content During the first half of 2005 Dusseldorp Skills Forum in conjunction with make it happen developed and delivered the Tasmanian Media Skills Strategy (TMSS). TMSS looked at ways of engaging secondary school students through the platform of audio and community radio. TMSS looked at using existing technology in the classroom - computers, microphones - to provide cheap and fun outcomes for students. Students at 20 schools at four radio stations throughout the state participated. In a short period of time TMSS has been able to deliver excellent outcomes for students at risk. TMSS has been able to gain support from the Tasmanian Department of Education to continue the program. The session will look into the rationale of the project, benefi ts, applicability to other regions and future issues and directions. FC 2.4 YOUTH WORKERS VERSUS TEACHERS – IN HARMONY OR AT WAR? OR IS IT A COALITION OF THE WILLING? WHAT CAN ONE LEARN FROM THE OTHER? Facilitated by: Gerri Walker Principal, Youth Education Centre, Adelaide SA What can one learn from the other?     FC 2.5 PROGRAM SUSTAINABILITY Facilitated by: Jason Haskett, Southern ICAN Program Manager, SA Why are programs only funded on a short-term basis? What is the impact and what can we do to address this trend?     FC 2.6 MAINTAINING SUFFICIENT RIGOUR AND STANDARDS IN ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS (NOT GIVING SOFTER OPTIONS) Facilitated by John Spierings Research Strategist, Dusseldorp Skills Forum Is this important? Why? How can we focus on objective outcome measurements? What's being done in other programs?     W 2.7 YACHAD ACCELERATED LEARNING PROJECT (YALP) Judy Yaron Hebrew University of Jerusalem Merle Miller Teacher, Gowrie St Primary School Shepparton, VIC A three-year educational intervention program aimed at raising the achievements of students in rural and remote locations, particularly those with high proportions of low achieving Indigenous students. Based on a whole of community educational approach developed by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.     W 2.8 MENTORING – DOES IT REALLY WORK? Judy MacCallum Senior Lecturer in Educational Psychology, Murdoch University, WA Kathleen Vella Project Officer, Youth Mentoring Network Is mentoring the panacea for all at-risk young people? Does it really make a difference? What factors does it depend on? How can we increase its effectiveness? How do you keep both parties involved, what are some success stories, what are the issues?     W 2.9 NOT JUST THE IEW!! Peter O'Beirne Queensland Action Area Coordinator, Dare to Lead All agree that the role of the Indigenous Education Worker is a critical one but the IEW cannot be successful if standing alone. This session looks at examples of how IEWs (under their various 'titles') are used in schools across Australia. How are they used? What support do they need to do their job well? What do schools do to support them in their work? This will be an interactive session where participants have the opportunity to reflect on their own situation against what is happening in other places. This session is 'not just for IEWs' but for all those who work alongside them.   W 2.10 STRONG CULTURES, STRONG CHOICES – INDIGENOUS YOUTH EMPLOYMENT Jason Tatipata Indigenous Enterprise and Youth Employment Team Department of Employment and Workplace Relations An increasing Indigenous youth population,labour market shortages, relatively low numbers of Indigenous young people making the transition from school to work. How is the Federal Government addressing these issues? The Indigenous Youth Employment Consultants (IYEC) program is operational in 30 Employments Service Areas across Australia. Each Consultant is based in a Job Network Agency and works with participants (15-19 years) to create a personalised activity plan and set about achieving participants’ goals. IYECs aim to assist young people to stay in education, complete training and ultimately secure employment. To do so IYECs link with communities, schools, Indigenous organisations and families. Within the fi rst year of operation 2800 Indigenous young people have been supported and there are some great stories to share.     W 2.11 PERSONALISED LEARNING AND LEADING FOR LEARNING IN A PERSONALISED SCHOOL: THE BIG PICTURE COMPANY Eve Gordon Principal, Met West High School, Oakland California Viv White Founder, Big Picture Company Australia Big Picture Australia is a new not for profi t company established by a group of Australians to work with The Big Picture Company (USA) dedicated to a fundamental redesign of public schooling in America and Australia. The Big Picture Company aims to catalyse vital changes in public education by generating and sustaining innovative, personalised schools that work in concert with the real world of their greater community. It builds and supports breakthrough schools to work in fundamentally different ways. These schools develop a rigorous and highly personalised approach to the curriculum which combines academic work with real world experimental and inquiry-driven learning. Its guiding philosophy is grounded in educating “one student at a time”. Over 33 Big Picture schools have been established across the USA. Students are active and accountable players in their education; teachers, parents and professional mentors design a challenging course of study, and school based learning is fused with real-world work two full days a week in community organisations, businesses and agencies. The workshop will explore the design principles for Big Picture schools and their application in Australia. ^top