Program Overview    Preview DVD    Implementation    Projected Outcomes

Supported by the Department of Education, Employment & Workplace Relations under its Parent and Community Engagement Program (PaCE), Readymade Productions collaborated with Aboriginal parents and students in northern Adelaide to create a program for large-scale implementation.

The main objective is to enhance the capacity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families and communities to engage with schools and education providers in order to support improved educational outcomes for their children.

Program Overview

Building upon the proven effectiveness of past Stories of Us projects, the Stories of Us PaCE Program is a multi-faceted initiative composed of a DVD and binder resource, regional training of community representatives in the use of the resource, and its widespread implementation.

The program centres on short, simply staged plays developed by parents and students and performed for their community and school educators. The students perform both young and adult roles in the plays, bringing a certain playfulness in exploring a serious topic. These plays serve as a non-confrontational means of raising and exploring the community’s relationship with schools and education providers, acknowledging the positives and examining some of the obstacles to greater engagement and stronger partnership.

The presentation of the play is followed by a guided discussion aimed at strengthening parental and community engagement with schools and education providers, with a common goal of improved educational outcomes for their students.

While the plays are central to the program, in many respects the real work occurs in the development process (where parents and students work together in preparation for presenting the play), the forum discussion after the performance, and follow-up sessions. Each stage of the program is designed to help achieve the objectives of the PaCE initiative.

The program resource provides step-by-step instructions for the development and staging of the plays, extensive support information, follow-up sessions and program evaluation. Communities also have the option to simply present the play included on the DVD.

Preview DVD

Introduced by 2011 NADOC National Scholar of the Year, Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney, Dean of Aboriginal Education at the University of Adelaide. Note: If you have difficulty viewing this video, please ensure you have the latest Adobe Flash Player.

Implementation

The Stories of Us PaCE Program resource is now complete.

In early 2012, we begin training community representatives in regional centres in greater Adelaide to use the resource to implement the Stories of Us PaCE Program with their communities, including the creation and presentation of plays unique to their community. The resource also outlines an option to simply work with the example play (rather than stage their own). There is no charge for the training sessions, and participants will receive a free copy of the resource.

To register you interest in attending one of the sessions: email program producer Christopher Faull.

Over time we hope to implement the program state-wide, then nationally. There is also an option to produce a new program for remote communities.

The SA Department of Education Child Development and MindMatters are also supporting the program and will assist with development through to promotion and implementation of the program.

Projected Outcomes

The development of the plays, their presentation and follow-up activities are all designed to help achieve the objectives of PaCE.

In developing their plays, the students interview their parents and community about their relationship with schools and education providers – identifying both the positives and the areas requiring improvement. These points are then expressed in their plays in a manner that helps break the ice, predisposing the parents, community members and education providers to work together towards improved education outcomes for students.

The resource includes follow-up activities as part of the primary implementation process. The resource also has secondary applications. Community representatives are encouraged to work with a different group of students in subsequent years, developing their own plays (whose content will be different as the situation improves), discussing progress with the community, strengthening the community-school partnership and raising the expectation of students’ educational outcomes.