Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation (Nalderun) deliver a long running and highly effective yarning training program designed to assist non-Indigenous people, education centers and organizations work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People.  

This training is tailored in dialogue with each client and led by proud Yorta Yorta woman, Indigenous Educator and Nalderun CEO Kath Coff. 

This training takes a person-centered conversational, inclusive and welcoming approach based on the needs and experiences of those in the room. Participants will be asked to reflect on and discuss the beliefs, values, cultures and attitudes they bring. We use a trauma informed approach to create a welcoming space, to build trust and help participants feel safe and supported to be in a space of many-way learning with open hearts and minds.  

Ample time is allocated at the beginning and end of each session for participants to check in and check out to be able to respectfully process anything that may have come up.  

Nalderun believe that when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders communities are supported by non-Indigenous Australians who have open hearts and minds, amazing things can happen for the whole community and the way forward is together, walking side by side.  

These trainings can be offered with the inclusion of a local First Nations Youth speaker, an ally, and through packages in partnership with Senior Djaara Elder Uncle Rick Nelson’s Waaman Cultura tours.  

Past clients include Mount Alexander Shire Council, Neighborhood House Victoria, Teach for Australia, Kangan Institute, DEECA, Agriculture Victoria, Victorian Government’s Public Intoxication trial with Bendigo District Aboriginal Corporation, local Schools and community groups within Upper Loddon area. 

Kath is happy for people to come as they are and instead encourages time and space for further research and reflection after participating in a section. An email with resources can be sent following the training.  

Nalderun does however collaborate with the Castlemaine Self Reflection Conversation Group which is primarily run by and for non-Indigenous people to hold space for non-Indigenous to reflect on their own cultural assumptions and biases. Deepening the awareness of where each person is coming from and familiarising oneself to these conversations creates more space to be open and receptive to the World View Training and contributes to a culturally safer environment. Nalderun asks all employees and partners to have done these reflective conversations or similar. 

Yes, Kath works in a very responsive way to tailor the sessions for different workplaces and contexts, to meet people where they are at, and hold space for specific questions and issues that need addressing. This is done in the lead up through an initial phone conversation and emails. Kath is also very attuned to people in the room and will shift the content as is necessary during the session itself and attend to learnings that may come up in the room. 

Kath can provide a follow up check in with the group as arranged and/or also encourages workplaces or groups to hold this space for themselves to address anything that may have come up and build capacity and support for groups to think about how to integrate any learnings into their workplace or community going forward. 

There are also many other follow-up trainings, tours, resources and courses that can be recommended and/or offered as part of a package. This includes Uncle Rick Nelsons Waa Man Tours on Djaara Country, a tour of Nalderun’s First Nations Youth co-run Bush Tucker Farm Me-Mandook Galk which is recommended. It also includes other recommendations of great work being done by other First Nations orgs and individual. This is ongoing and life-long work.   

Kath likes to run the sessions with everyone sitting in chairs in a circle. 

Pens/textas, paper, and a white board are the other three materials needed. Kath intentionally doesn’t use power-points to keep the focus in the room with the people and activities. 

Where possible the Acknowledgment and introduction of the training can happen outside. 

Ideally these trainings are done outside of the usual workplace – which we find can often stop people from feeling comfortable in sharing their full selves and being vulnerable. 

Rates are variable and determined based on negotiation and your needs and capacity. It covers the cost of Kath and ally support who is always present. We also encourage the engagement of a guest First Nations Youth speaker to share from their perspective and lived experience.  As a not-for-profit charity any additional funds goes back to support our First Nations youth programs.  Email us to find out more –ourlearningway@nalderun.net.au

Kathryn Coff is a proud Yorta Yorta educator living on Djaara Country. She is a respected member of her local Aboriginal community in Castlemaine and currently CEO of Nalderun Education Aboriginal Corporation in the Mount Alexander Shire. She also consults in the space of Indigenous Education and is working in the cultural interface space. She has worked at La Trobe University and Melbourne University within Indigenous Education, currently completing her PhD and has published two works in this space.  

She has worked tirelessly over many years in establishing and developing programs for Community. In 2017/18, Kathryn received an Emerging Leader award from Indigenous Fellowship for Leadership. Kathryn was appointed to the Board of Koondee Woonga-gat Toor-rong Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Led Philanthropic Fund. 

Kathryn believes that when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders communities are supported by non-Indigenous Australians who have open hearts and minds, amazing things can happen for the whole community and the way forward is together, walking side by side. 

Email: ceo@nalderun.net.au or ourlearningway@nalderun.net.au

NEAC, 30 Templeton Street, Castlemaine 3450