CHILDREN AND COMMUNITIES
Children constructing elements for Mary Elizabeth’s
House, inspired by their evolving ideas.
“These
outstanding
outcomes are
a pertinent
reminder of the
enduring value
of genuine
engagement
with children and
communities.”
The strong commitment of KU centres
to engage with their communities,
and the far-reaching impact it
can bring, is demonstrated by KU
Phillip Park; a model for community
advocacy and for inspiring excellence
through innovative initiatives such
as their ‘Twilight Tours’, under the
leadership of ACEL award-winning
Director, Bonnie Te Ara Henare.
The centre has developed a unique
‘community of inquiry’ which has
supported its teams to work together
as a ‘community that learns’. As
explained by Bonnie, “a community
that learns has the power to shape
the way we offer curriculum and
experience learning that fosters
a community of co-inquirers,
co-learners, co-thinkers and coresearchers
not only in its design, but
its evaluative worth in determining
the futures of children.”
Empowered by KU’s encouragement
of emerging leadership and
advocacy, KU Phillip Park has
extended these innovative practices
beyond the centre; hosting early
childhood educators from across
Sydney during ‘Twilight Tours’ to
share how they are embedding
inquiry at the centre and to provide
a vehicle to facilitate discussions
on how others are applying inquiry.
The centre’s unique approach
has also attracted interest from
international educators, spreading
the influence of the centre and
of KU to countries such as Brazil,
Singapore and Japan.
These outstanding outcomes
achieved by KU Bradfield Park and
KU Phillip Park are a pertinent
reminder of the enduring value of
genuine engagement with children
and communities in developing
high quality educational programs
for children within KU and beyond.
KU
20
19
7