Our Reconciliation Action Plan We are excited to announce our commitment to developing a formal Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) to foster higher levels of knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions, for the benefit of our whole community. We are inviting expressions of interest from anyone who might like to be part of our RAP development and implementation journey. Our RAP will be centred around our Core Shared Values of Synergy, Respect, Integrity, Growth, Knowledge and Empathy. Through our RAP, we will commit to strengthening relevant relationships, respect and opportunities in the classroom, around the College and with the community. Other highpoints included swimming in the crystal clear Kuang Si waterfall, exploring local markets and tasting local delicacies, visiting pepper and silk farms, riding around in tuk-tuks and touring a floating local village. Although everyone had their personal hardships and challenges to face, which came to the fore as they trekked for more than 30km across the Cambodian jungle, the shared support of the whole team pushed the girls to the finish line. When it was finally time to depart Bangkok to head back to Perth after 24 days, the girls were sad to be leaving. The group consider this a once-in-alifetime experience, through which they had grown both as individuals and a group. The girls wished that all students could have such an incredible opportunity to travel off the beaten track as a teenager, to learn more about the world and about themselves. “We are all so grateful that we had the opportunity to go on a trip like this no words can describe how truly amazing the experience was,” said Tanika Webb.
Developing our Action Plan is a long-term commitment that will require ongoing consideration and collaborative effort. Within our community, there is unique knowledge and valuable experience that we would love to see reflected in our plan. Therefore, we seek your support to ensure our RAP creates meaningful and sustainable change. Our community of student’s who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander has steadily grown since 2017, when we formalised our partnership with Madalah – a not-for-profit organisation that offers Secondary and Tertiary education scholarships for Indigenous students from remote and regional communities. If you would like to be involved with the development and ongoing implementation of our Action Plan, including being part of the RAP Working Group, please contact our Aboriginal Liaison Officer Jess O’Donnell at ODonnJ@penrhos.wa.edu.au. To learn more about the RAP development process, you may also like to visit www.narragunnawali.org.au.
THE PENRHOSIAN
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