Education remains one of the most powerful tools in the reconciliation movement, and this year Reconciliation SA continued to expand its reach across schools, early childhood settings, workplaces and community organisations. Through a broad range of workshops and presentations, we supported educators, staff teams, leaders and students to build the skills, knowledge and confidence needed to embed reconciliation into everyday practice.
Our education team delivered sessions focused on anti-racism, cultural awareness, Narragunnawali implementation and reconciliation planning, helping create meaningful change not only in classrooms, but across entire learning communities.
Workshops supporting the development of Reconciliation Action Plans were particularly significant this year. These sessions allowed school and site leaders to understand how reconciliation can be strategically embedded into curriculum, policies and school culture. Educators who engaged with these workshops often expressed that they left feeling clearer, more equipped and more connected to their local Aboriginal community.
For many, it marked the beginning of shift in how reconciliation is approached within their learning environment.
Anti-racism education also played a crucial role, especially as schools and organisations sought support to address the impacts of racism and build safer, more respectful environments.
Our “Education, Action and Change” sessions provided a space to unpack difficult conversations and to understand racism as both a structural and interpersonal issue, giving participants strategies to respond effectively and with cultural responsibility. These sessions continue to be among the most impactful in our suite of offerings, as they often spark the deep reflection required for systemic change.
Youth engagement remained central to our education work, with competitions and grants supporting students to learn through creativity, collaboration and on-Country experiences. The Reconciliation Education Grants again enabled schools to partner with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and businesses, bringing cultural knowledge into learning spaces and fostering relationships grounded in respect.
The blend of structured workshops, school-led reconciliation projects and public learning events helped ensure that young people continue to be empowered as agents of change.
As the year comes to a close, the impact of our education and workshop program is evident in the growing number of schools developing RAPs, the increasing appetite for anti-racism learning, and the meaningful partnerships being built between educators and Aboriginal community members. These programs, quiet, consistent and deeply relational, form the backbone of long-term reconciliation.
While events and public moments spark awareness, it is the day-to-day learning in classrooms, staffrooms and community spaces that moves the work forward.
This year’s workshops and presentations reaffirm that education is not an optional extra in reconciliation; it is the work itself. And as more people engage, reflect, and act, the path toward a fairer, more truthful and more connected South Australia becomes clearer.