Storyline workshops offer learnings for both young and old students in Whyalla and Pt Augusta

An innovative program encouraging intergenerational learning between Aboriginal elders and school students of both cultural stories and technology will be held in Whyalla and Port Augusta this week.
 
Supported by Telstra and run by the Burraga Foundation, the Storylines program will be held at the Nicolson Avenue Primary School in Whyalla on Wednesday 10 April and at the Port Augusta Cultural Centre on Thursday 11 April between 10.30am and 2pm. 
 
The Burraga Foundation’s purpose is to champion the use of technology by Aboriginal people to enable a better understanding of and respect for Aboriginal Australia, for all Australians. 
 
“The inter-generational learning is split into two parts, with both generations having the opportunity to be the teacher and also the student,” said Lyn Brown from the Burraga Foundation.
 
“The first part sees young students teach Aboriginal Elders and seniors about technology and connecting online, including the use of Virtual Reality technology. 
 
“Aboriginal Elders and seniors then reciprocate by sharing stories to enrich the students’ understanding of Aboriginal histories and cultures. Students will record these stories to create an educational and celebratory resource for future generations,” she said. 
 
Once completed, stories are edited and uploaded to the Storylines local community websites of the Elders’ choice. Importantly, Elders and their communities retain ownership of their stories created through the program.
 
The program is delivered at local school venues through a Storylines facilitator, Storylines curriculum-aligned lesson plans, and the Storylines Story Creator mobile application. The workshops also provide an opportunity for schools to engage with community members and build on local relationships.
 
“The Storylines Program has achieved great results in NSW and Telstra is now supporting the program for the next three years to allow it to expand to eight locations across Australia,” said Mark Sulikowski, from Telstra’s Strategy & Inclusion Team.
 
“Whyalla and Port Augusta are the first two sites to be visited as part of this national expansion and we hope to do further sessions across the state over the next 12 months,” he said.
 
The Storylines program provides local community members, schools, organisations and the broader community with a culturally safe online environment to share and celebrate Aboriginal, non-secret, nonsacred stories of history, culture and achievement. 
 
The Storylines program was originally set up in NSW and since 2015 has seen the digital capturing and storage of more than 1,000 stories from 98 Aboriginal communities and participation by 500 schools and 8,000 students. 
 
The Burraga Foundation is named as a tribute to King Burraga (also known as Joe Anderson), who was one of the first Aboriginal men to use film and cinema to demand recognition for his people. For more information about the organisation or the program please visit: www.burraga.org or www.storylines.com.au
 
 

Media Contact:

Lyn Brown (Burraga Foundation) 0448 004 218
Chris Marks (Telstra) 0475 963 824    
Media Reference: 047/2019