NASCA’s Regional Education Forum Inspires 85 Students in NSW

This term, NASCA hosted the Education Forum across New South Wales. Designed to empower, educate, and connect young Indigenous learners, the event reached 85 students across three distinct regional events held in Dubbo, Coffs Harbour, and Sydney.

Representing 19 high schools statewide, including Brewarrina Central High School, Ballina Coast High, Dubbo College, Maitland High, and many others, students gathered at their respective regional locations for a jam-packed schedule of culturally grounded, hands-on learning.

Merging Tradition with Innovation

Across all three locations, the workshops blended ancient cultural knowledge with modern skills, offering students a holistic experience that spanned technology, creative arts, wellbeing, and bushcraft. These are some of the workshops the students participated in:

• Artificial Intelligence: facilitated by Deadly Coders, students dove into the world of AI, exploring pattern recognition, ethics, and bias. Crucially, the sessions examined Indigenous knowledge and data sovereignty
  
• Culturally Safe Wellbeing: in the Deadly Thinking Youth sessions, facilitated by Aunty Margaret Saunders, students explored social and emotional wellbeing, mental health, and identity. The interactive discussions focused on building personal resilience, recognising individual strengths, and navigating school life with strong support networks
  
• Creative Writing: led by Story Factory, students used sensory imagery, poetry, and literary techniques to express their personal connection to Country. Sharing their written works fostered confidence, self-expression, and collaboration
  
• Traditional Bush Medicine & Shelter Making: facilitated by Koori Kinnections, students engaged in hands-on cultural practices. In the Djirrawarra (a Dhurga word meaning “grind leaves”) workshop, participants prepared and jarred traditional bush remedies. They also constructed traditional gunyas (shelters), gaining insight into Aboriginal engineering, sustainability, and seasonal resource use.
  

Participating Schools

The success of the Education Forum series was made possible by the active participation of 85 students from 19 schools where NASCA is present:

Alexandria Park Community School | Airds High School | Ballina Coast High School | Brewarrina Central School | Canobolas High School | Coonamble High School | Dubbo College Delroy Campus | Dubbo College South Campus | Glenmore Park High School | Kanahooka High School | Kempsey High School | Kingswood High School | Maitland High School | Narromine High School | Orara High School | Thomas Reddall High School | Wadalba Community School | Wellington High School | Wyong High School

By grounding modern education in cultural strength, NASCA continues to create space for Indigenous  youth to thrive, both in the classroom and within their communities.