School funding to advance the journey of Aboriginal reconciliation
Advancing and promoting Aboriginal reconciliation in the community through WA school and kindergarten projects is the aim of a DLGSC program which is currently offering a total of $799,000 in grants.
The Partnership Acceptance Learning Sharing (PALS) program is available to all WA primary and secondary schools and kindergartens, whether they have Aboriginal students or not.
The program aims to foster:
- Partnership between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people based on trust, respect and understanding;
- Acceptance of and respect for diversity and valuing Aboriginal perspectives;
- Learning more about each other through Aboriginal histories, languages and cultures;
- Sharing a common journey towards healing and reconciliation.
Two tiers of funding are available for individual grants of up to $2000 and up to $3000 over 2years. By the end of March 2024, 61 grant applications totalling $172,000 were already approved. Categories include arts, community relationships, connecting to country and culture, inclusive environments, history, and language.
The program benefits of expanding the knowledge of Aboriginal art, history, culture and languages among young people are enormous, as well as contributing greatly to community harmony.