1 Bios – Final

Pre-conference workshop on Indigenous adult LLN 9 November 2016

LIST OF SPEAKERS

Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation (ALPA) : Henry Harper and Wendy Brooks

Henry: Project Coordinator

Wendy: Remote Training Officer -ALPA

Australian Council on Adult Literacy (ACAL):

Jenni Anderson

President member of the Reading Writing Hotline Steering Committee and National Foundation Skills Professional Standards Framework National Project Reference Group

Australian Government Department of Education:

Mel Finestone

Manager WA Skills Office (acting for NT currently

Australian Government Dept. of Employment:

Ruby Lonsdale

Senior Contract Manager (Job-Active)

Australian Government: Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, NT: Chrissy Jenner

Senior Adviser

Charles Darwin University –School of VET:

Christine Robertson and Kim Hawkins

Christine: CDU - Pro-Vice Chancellor VET

Kim: CDU - Head of School Community and Family services, CDU

LINC (26TEN program)Tasmania: Anita Planchon Manager, Literacy Services

Literacy for Life Foundation: Deborah Durnan and Tannia Edwards

Deb: National Campaign Coordinator

Tannia: Literacy Campaign Coordinator and CEO of the Murrawari Local Aboriginal Land Council, NSW

LLN Consultative Group: workshop organisation

Lorraine Sushames and Wendy Kennedy and Allison Stewart

Lorraine: CDU -Contract Manager VET LLN Business Development

Wendy: CDU -Team Leader Adult Literacy and Numeracy

Allison: CDU –WCE Strategic Priority Projects Manager

NT Department of Arts and Museums: Anja Tait Assistant Director - Libraries and Learning

Reading and Writing Hotline: Vanessa Forrest, with Jenni Anderson, Anita Planchon

Vanessa: project officer

Jenni: Steering Committee member

Anita: Steering Committee member

Whole of Community Engagement Initiative (WCE):

Valda Napurrula Shannon Wandaparri

WCE Tennant Creek: researcher facilitator and mentor

(LLN workshop co-facilitator)

Yalu Marggithinyaraw Indigenous Corporation, Galiwin’ku

Rosemary Gundjarundbuy (Director – participation via video)

Dr Elaine Llawurrpa Maypilama (via video)

Margaret Miller (Yalu cross cultural training program)

Stephen Dhamarrandji (Skills Development Officer)

Yvonne Mitjarrandi (Senior Mentor)

‘Yes I Can’ community Literacy Campaigns:

Assoc.Prof. Bob Boughton UNE

Independent Evaluator, Western NSW and East Timor programs

Yuendumu Learning Centre

Ros Bauer with Jimmy Langdon / Maisie Napaljarri Kitson / Enid Nangala Gallager

Ros: Consultant to WYDAC on adult literacy/numeracy (Yuendumu Learning Centre)

Jimmy: Deputy Chair WYDAC and WCE researcher , facilitator and mentor

Maisie and Enid: Walpiri Education and Training Trust (WETT) Advisory Committee

2 Bios – Final

SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES

Jenni Anderson

President, Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL)

Jenni began her career in adult LLN sector as a volunteer which inspired her to head off to University - the first person in her family to do so. She has worked in community adult education in a drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre and workplace literacy programs as diverse as Aged Care and waste management. Jenni has also worked extensively in labour market programs from SIP, LANT, LLNP and SEE and currently manages the Skills for Education and Employment (SEE) programme contract for with Mission Australia. As a member of the Reading Writing Hotline Steering Committee and the National Foundation Skills Professional Standards Framework National Project Reference Group she is passionate about ways to increase the availability and

quality of adult LLN provision across Australia especially in remote and regional areas.

Ros Bauer

Consultant to Walpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation (WYDAC) on adult literacy/numeracy, Yuendumu Learning Centre

Northern Territory-based Ros Bauer is passionate about implementing programs to support people to develop their LLN skills. Her interests are workforce development, community and personal literacies and Indigenous education and learning. Ros is committed to implementation of approaches which lead to increasing human capital and social capital outcomes. With a Masters of Education and around 20 years’ experience in the field Ros was awarded the ‘Excellence in Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice Award’ at the 2013 Australian Training Awards. Her work on literacy projects with the Warlpiri Youth

Development Aboriginal Corporation (WYDAC) and the Warlpiri-kurlangu patu Jaru College in Yuendumu led to the establishment an adult learning centre in Yuendumu named the Jaru Learning Centre. The Jaru Centre is funded locally by the Warlpiri Education and Training Trust and is managed by the WYDAC (Walpiri Youth Development Corporation). She recently co-authored a paper on the establishment of the Centre highlighting the response of learners to opportunities in locally managed learning spaces. Ros has worked extensively as a consultant, presented at numerous conferences including the VETnetwork, the Australian Council for Educational Research and the Australian Council of Adult Literacy. In 2015 she travelled to Scandinavia on an Australian Executive Fellowship, focusing on adult literacy provision and teacher professional development. Ros is an active member of Adult Learning Australia, Australian Council of Adult Literacy and other professional networks

3 Bios – Final

Bob Boughton

Associate Professor of Adult Education at the University of New England Bob has worked with the Government of Timor-Leste and the Cuban literacy mission on the

national adult literacy campaign in Timor-Leste (2007-2012) and has led the evaluation of the campaign in western NSW since 2012. He is currently leading a 3 year Australian Research Council Linkage Project with the Literacy for Life Foundation and the Lowitja Institute to investigate the impact of the literacy campaign on the health and well–being of the participating communities. Most recent publications include: Adult literacy, popular education and post-conflict peace-building in Timor-Leste. Boughton, B. (In press.); Radical international adult education. A pedagogy of solidarity. Boughton, B. (2016) in R. Mizzi, T. Rocco & S. Shore (Eds.), Disrupting Adult and Community Education. Teaching, Learning and Working in the Periphery (pp. 257-273). New York: SUNY Press.

Wendy Brooks

Remote Training Officer, Arnhem land Progress Association (ALPA)

Wendy started work for ALPA almost 4 years ago after she had just moved to the NT. She started of as the receptionist in Darwin Office, learning all about the different communities that ALPA work in. From then she wanted to get into the training department, but didn’t have the experience at the time. After 8 months, she got the opportunity to manage Rulku Lodge in Milingimbi, which is a joint venture run by ALPA and local families in Milingimbi. She worked there for almost two years, alongside RJCP (at the time). Working in community she was even more determined to get a job in the training department, so started her Retail III

Certificate and completed the assessment units. To get more ALPA retail experience she then moved to the Tiwi islands and worked as the manager of the club and duty manager of the store. While working there she started training with the staff and realised more about the LLN limitations amongst the students. Wendy is now working in the training department as a trainer/assessor and focuses on the LLN needs of the students.

Stephen Dhammarrandji

Skills Development Officer, Yalu Marŋgithinyaraw Centre, Galiwinku

Stephen is a ranger and has a long experience as a mentor in Galiwin’ku. He now supports the development of organisational and local skills development.

4 Bios – Final

Deborah Durnan

National Campaign Coordinator for the Literacy for Life Foundation Deborah is the National Campaign Coordinator for the Literacy for Life Foundation, and has worked on the literacy campaign since the first pilot in Wilcannia in 2012. She also worked on the Timor-Leste national literacy campaign, and completed a Masters in Peace Studies thesis at the University of New England on Popular Education & Peace Building in Timor Leste.

Tannia Edwards

Literacy Campaign Coordinator CEO of the Murrawari Local Aboriginal Land Council has worked as both the Coordinator and as a Facilitator in the Literacy for Life campaign in Enngonia, an Aboriginal community in far north-western NSW. She is currently coordinating the campaign in the community of Weilmoringle.

Mel Finestone Skills Programme Manager WA (and A/ NT) Australian Government Department of Education and Training

Vanessa Forrest

Project Officer, Reading and Writing Hotline Project Officer and LLN Teacher, Reading and Writing Hotline. Vanessa has co-ordinated and delivered a range of LLN programs to Indigenous, refugee and ESB learners in universities, TAFE colleges and RTOs. Her experience co-ordinating campaigns and projects, includes working with evacuees from Kosovo and Timor Leste, young newly arrived migrant survivors of torture and trauma, and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders families who have lost relatives in custody, through the National Committee to Defend Black Rights. She taught in Korea and Japan and has over 16 years LLN teaching experience

on programs including The Aboriginal Education Assistants’ Program and academic support for Indigenous university undergraduates. Vanessa has studied Bahasa Indonesia, Pitjantjatjara and

5 Bios – Final

Tetun and has a Bachelor of Arts, Aboriginal Studies and post graduate degrees in Adult Education (TESOL) and LLN Practice. She is passionate about supporting access to First Nations’ and EAL/D literacy and working to increase access to LLN provision nationally.

Chrissy Jenner

Assistant Director, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, NT

(no photograph available)

Enid Nangala Gallagher

Walpiri Education and Training Trust Advisory Committee

Enid is from Yuendumu community in the Tanami desert where she works as a Teacher’s Assistant at both Yuendumu and Nyirrpi schools. Enid likes to help young people learn to read and write in English and in Warlpiri. Enid also works as a Cultural Mentor for the Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation (WYDAC) helping people in community. In this role she has supported WYDAC staff working for the Parental and Community Engagement (PACE) program and helps young people going to the Yuendumu Learning

Centre to work. Enid is a Board Member of WYDAC and has frequently participated on the Advisory Committee for the Warlpiri Education and Training Trust. Rosemary Gundjarrandbuy (participating via video)

Manager, Yalu’ Marŋgithinyaraw Centre, Galiwin’ku (and WCE)

Rosemary Gundjarranbuy is the manager of Yalu Marngithinyaraw, a Yolngu community controlled research and education centre. She is a senior Yolngu educator and researcher who has extensive experience in school-based as well as health education. She has also worked on a range of other community projects related to youth wellbeing, aged care and child development research. Over the past 3 years Gundjarranbuy has worked as the Coordinator of “Sharing the full and true stories about chronic conditions project”, which was a partnership between Yalu and

CDU. This project brought together Yolngu and western health-relate3d knowledge and practice using an approach that is responsive to Yolngu culture and language needs. Gundjarranbuy is currently managing a range of projects including the local implementation of the WCE initiative.

6 Bios – Final

Henry Harper

Project Coordinator, Arnhem Land Progress Association (ALPA)

Henry has worked for ALPA for 30 yrs and was formerly the Training Manager.

Kim Hawkins

Head of School - VET Community and Children's Services

Kim is an experienced vocational educator with a passion for quality training in the human services industry and a wealth of education and industry experience. She is committed to innovation and improved service delivery in the training and community services sectors. Prior to working with CDU she was in Western Australia where she has worked in the childcare, disability and at-risk sectors building strong community links, and also in the Pilbara region of WA. Kim has held various roles as an industry advocate and on committees and boards, including as a Cabinet-

appointed member of the Ministerial Advisory Council for Disability and is highly regarded for her skills in the area of change management and capacity building. In a recent project she worked with a leading national researcher on a project to document innovation in an organisation and individual attitudes to innovation. As head of School of Community and Children’s Services, and responsibility for the Adult Literacy area, Kim oversees the delivery of services in disciplines including aged care, youth work, mental health, first aid and early childhood care.

Wendy Kennedy (CDU LLN consultative group/workshop committee)

Team Leader for the CDU Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Top End Team Wendy’s academic background spans 40 years of delivering educational programs, including teaching in remote schools, adult education, including 20 years in the VET sector specialising in adult literacy and numeracy. The bulk of Wendy’s career has been in delivery of programs to remote communities in the Northern Territory, including a period working as assistant principal in a remote school. She is committed to the quality delivery of VET programs, with a particular focus on providing accessible training to marginalised groups. Wendy has managed and

taught on a number of workforce development projects throughout the Northern Territory and more recently offshore in Timor Leste, where English Language has been an integral component of training. She played a facilitation role in the development of an Indigenous enterprise in a remote community – the very successful Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre in Gunbalanya NT. Wendy is a member of the Northern Territory Vocational and Training Workforce Advisory Group and has represented VET on the CDU Academic Board.

7 Bios – Final

Elizabeth Katakarinja

Community researcher and facilitator WCE initiative

Elizabeth is originally from Ntaria (Hermmansburg) where she studied and trained in child care education. At Yuendumu, Elizabeth currently works in the role of Video Officer, PAW Media and Communications and as a Night Patrol worker. Her passion for strengthening education at Yuendumu is well known through her former role of Chairperson, Yuendumu School Council. Through WCE, Elizabeth is keen to learn about designing and conducting research on effective educational methods to improve quality standards of

educational delivery at Yuendumu. Elizabeth would like to see all young people learn and train and become skilled ready for employment, believing that the establishment of a Warlpiri Secondary College would provide a quality of education that will help the community achieve this aspiration.

Maisie Napaljarri Kitson

Warlpiri Education and Training Trust Advisory Committee

Maisie Napaljarri Kitson: Maisie Kitson is a founder and Chairperson of the Warlpiri Education and Training Trust (WETT) Advisory Committee. WETT was set up by a group of Warlpiri teachers in 2004 to use royalties from Newmont mining operations in the Tanami region to improve education and training outcomes for Warlpiri people. WETT has established many successful education projects, including the Warlpiri Community Learning Centre program, in partnership with Batchelor Institute. The learning centres provides a range of formal and informal learning opportunities in the four Warlpiri communities. Literacy and numeracy has been a focus of this project since the beginning,

alongside computer literacy and Warlpiri language and culture. Maisie is a trained teacher who has worked for many years at Willowra school where she teaches kids in Warlpiri, and takes students out bush to learn on country such as how to find bush tucker. Jimmy Langdon

Community researcher and facilitator WCE initiative Jimmy is a Warlpiri man from Yuendumu who works across a range of fields: education, leadership, community safety, youth and community development and mentors neighbouring Warlpiri and Anmatyerre communities. He is Chairperson of the Local Authority Board, Central Desert Shire and within this role focuses on bridging kardiya (non-Indigenous) and yapa (Warlpiri) management styles. As the Deputy Chairperson of the Yuendumu School Council he has worked to strengthen Indigenous representation through encouraging young parents to become more involved. He is also the Deputy

Chairperson of Warlpiri Youth Development Aboriginal Corporation (WYDAC) overseeing a vast range of youth services, including cultural mentoring and the Jaru Learning Centre. Jimmy believes that strengthening pathways to higher education for Indigenous communities can be achieved through system change to break down current barriers.

8 Bios – Final

Ruby Lonsdale

Contract Manager, NT Office, Australian Government Department of Employment

Ruby manages employment services contracts for the Australian Government and is across a range of issues associated with long term unemployment. She is passionate about creating better connections between policy and service delivery to increase job seeker access to local employment opportunities. She has facilitated local projects to contextualise LLN learning outside of a classroom setting to support job seekers with their pathway to employment.

Anita Planchon

Manager, Literacy Services (26TEN program), LINC Tasmania Anita Planchon is Manager of Literacy Services at LINC Tasmania in the Tasmanian Department of Education, with responsibility for 26TEN - Tasmania’s Strategy for adult Literacy and Numeracy - and the LINC Tasmania adult and family literacy network. She has a Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics from the University of New England and a research background in multilingualism and second and subsequent language acquisition. Her professional experience is in government policy

development. Prior to employment with LINC Tasmania, she had an 18-year career with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, with postings in Vietnam, Solomon Islands and as Australia's Consul-General to New Caledonia.

Christine Robertson

Pro-Vice Chancellor (PVC) VET, Charles Darwin University

As PVC of the Faculty of Vocational Education and Training, Christine ensures that functions and activities across the University are strategically aligned with the broader requirements of the VET sector. She holds academic qualifications in Community Development and Adult Education, vocational qualifications in Training and Assessment and Management, and a Masters of Education (Leadership and Management). She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Australian Vocational Education and Training Research Association, a Fellow of Leadership Victoria, a Board Member of TAFE

Directors Australia, and former Director of ReGen Alcohol and Other Drug Services. Prior to joining CDU Christine was the Deputy Director Vocational Education at RMIT University. A major focus of her work in this role was assisting the University to implement an effective response to vocational education and training market reforms. Christine has extensive experience in VET workforce development and has led the design and implementation of a range of innovative training partnerships with government, commercial and community based enterprises throughout Victoria, Queensland and the Northern Territory. Her background in community development includes a range of education and development projects for government agencies in regional, rural and remote locations in Australia and in the Asia Pacific Region. Christine has a strong commitment to critical and reflective practice and to the development and application of new frameworks in local and international education and training contexts.

9 Bios – Final

Valda Napurrula Shannon Wandaparri

Community researcher and facilitator WCE initiative

Valda is a Walpiri/Warumungu woman who has been working in Jurnkurakurr (Tennant Creek) since 1992. She has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Aboriginal Community Management and Development (Curtin, 2000) and a Bachelor of Arts and Education (Deakin,1987). Valda is an accredited interpreter and has her Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Valda worked as a teacher at Ali Curung School between 1986 and 1992 as well as Assistant Principal in training. Her most recent work includes writing culturally relevant programs for the Mental Health

Association of Central Australia’s Suicide Prevention Initiative. She has presented her work at the UN Indigenous Forum (New York) in 2014, focusing on the importance of addressing suicide in Indigenous Communities through cultural practices. Valda’s stories were incorporated in ‘Womens Voices’ as part of the International Women’s Conference in Bejing, China (1995). Valda’s focus is ‘Walking in confidence in two worlds’ embedding Indigenous culture within education, employment to strengthen her community.

Lorraine Sushames

CDU LLN consultative group/workshop committee

Contracts Manager/Lecturer, Language Literacy and Numeracy Programmes CDU

Lorraine Sushames has extensive experience in the vocational education and training sector, with a focus on adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy (LLN) policy and practice. She has successfully tendered for and managed a range of externally funded programs on behalf of the CDU, each of which has been implemented to strengthen the capacity of individuals to participate more effectively in society, build capacity, or to access or progress within their employment. Participants have included Indigenous people from urban, regional or remote communities as well as Timor Leste. Lorraine has been

involved in a range of research projects aimed at identifying and addressing LLN barriers in specific sectors of the northern Australian region and has made regular contributions to national and international conferences. Of special interest is the role that English LLN plays in personal and economic advancement. Her qualifications include a Master’s Degree in Education, a Bachelor of Teaching: Adult/Vocational, a Graduate Diploma in Adult Language, Literacy and Numeracy Practice and Certificate IV in Training and Assessment. Lorraine is part of the National Executive of the Australian Council for Adult Literacy (ACAL), and its Treasurer.

Anja Tait

Assistant Director Libraries and Learning, Northern Territory Library, NT Department of Tourism and Culture

At Northern Territory Library Anja is responsible for leading strategic

development, program design and evaluation to build Northern Territory Library

staff capability, support the NT library sector, and involve people of all ages with

the library’s collections of Territory knowledge. Previously Anja worked in an arts

curriculum advisory role across the stages of schooling with the NT Department of

10 Bios – Final

Education, and was research leader for two education and the arts partnership projects funded by

the Australia Council for the Arts. Anja has worked as a music therapist in child and maternal mental

health, early childhood intervention, special education, disability, dementia care, Indigenous health,

acute hospital, hospice and community health care. Anja has presented her work in New York,

Chicago, Seoul, Buenos Aires and throughout Australia. She has book chapters published in

community music (Rowman & Littlefield Education), music in education (Cambridge Scholars

Publishing), and music therapy (Barcelona Publishers). Anja has contributed case study material to

major reports published by the Australia Council for the Arts and the United Nations (International

Caring Communities), and published in practitioner and scholarly journals for early childhood

education, music education, music therapy and libraries.

Yvonne Mitjarrandi

Senior Mentor, Yalu’ Marŋgithinyaraw Centre, Galiwinku Mitja is a qualified teacher with over 25 years of teaching experience; Currently she is working as a senior also a mentor and researcher in Galiwin’ku Yalu’ Marŋgithinyaraw Centre.

Dr Elaine Llawurrpa Maypilama (participating via video)

Yalu’ Marŋgithinyaraw Centre and WCE

Ḻäwurrpa is a resident of Galiwin’ku and an experienced Yolŋu researcher. She is Warramirri clan and connects to Galiwin’ku through her father’s father. She also speaks many dialects of Yolŋu Matha. Ḻäwurrpa has worked extensively with Charles Darwin University and Menzies School of Health for over twenty years, and has skilfully guided many non-Indigenous researchers to work with Yolŋu in ways that are ethical, mutually beneficial, and enable non-Indigenous and Yolŋu to understand each other’s knowledges. She is also a founder of the Yalu’

Marŋgithinyaraw Centre in Galiwin’ku. Ḻäwurrpa is passionate about improving education pathways for Yolŋu and wants to see Yolŋu people achieving at the highest levels of education. Qualifications include Associate Diploma in Teaching: Bachelor Institute of Indigenous Training and Education (BI) and Honorary Doctorate, Charles Darwin University (CDU). A list of research is included at https://remotengagetoedu.com.au/people/dr-elaine-maypilama/

11 Bios – Final

Margaret Miller

Yalu cross cultural training program

Margaret is a Teacher with some 30 years of experience working at Galiwinku in teaching and translation work and who has on numerous occasions run literacy courses at Galiwinku. She is currently employed by Marggithinyaraw Indigenous Corporation and is working on the CDU-WCE Cross Cultural Training Program. Margaret’s work on Elcho Island began as a qualified teacher with the Department of Education at Shepherdson College from 1981-1990, performing a variety of roles ranging in classroom practice

from T-10, school library, and teacher-linguist. Since 1986 she has been assisted by Yolŋu educators, to provide new staff in the Galiwin’ku community with cross-cultural awareness and language learning sessions in Djambarrpuyŋu. In 1990 she joined the Djambarrpuyŋu Bible Translation Team, providing support to 8 Yolŋu members to translate the New Testament into Djambarrpuyŋu. In 2008, her role expanded regionally to support the vision of a number of yolŋu across North East Arnhemland who desire to develop ways of promoting the scriptures in Djambarrpuyŋu as well as in a variety of other Yolŋu languages. She is passionate about team work and building capacity within the Yolŋu.

Allison Stewart CDU LLN consultative group/workshop organiser

Manager Strategic Priority Projects, Whole of Community Engagement Initiative

Allison combines 15 year remote International development experience with many years working for Indigenous organisations, universities, government and non-government in the NT, WA and the ACT. Working at local, regional and national levels and across cultures she has contributed to outcomes within – community development, mental health, primary health care, health promotion, public health, national policy, Indigenous employment, community based public works, Indigenous housing, communication and media, social planning, higher education and research.

Her flexibility to work across sectors has been enabled by application of a range of generic skills combined with her ability to rapidly acquire sector-specific knowledge, work with sectoral specialists and a commitment to learning. Allison operates from a fundamental belief in the potential for the advancement of individuals, families and communities through active participatory partnerships, local leadership, high quality engagement and the development of respect, understanding and good will across cultures. Her aim is always to maximise contributions and to increase understanding between all internal and external partners to further strategic goals. She currently manages the strategic project on Adult LLN and works with the Consultative Group on LLN which has led to this pre-conference workshop opportunity funded through the Commonwealth Government’s HEPPP. Acknowledgement: The Whole of Community Engagement (WCE) initiative is funded through the Australian Government’s Higher Education Participation and Partnerships Programme.