Research Week Tuesday 25 October 2021 - 'In Children's Voices'

The Research Centre for Transforming early Education and Child Health (TeEACH) brings together researchers from diverse disciplines across the University who are committed to improving the lives and well-being of children and their families, especially when their lives are impacted by adversity. Our members share a vision, that no child will have their potential limited by the circumstances into which they are born and live.

At TeEACH, our research seeks to be transformative: transformative in the way research is conducted; transformative in the way children, families and community members are engaged in decision-making; and transformative in the way systems, services and supports are designed and delivered.

In accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child declaration that children have a right to be heard on matters affecting them, and with recognition of children’s dignity and citizenship, research conducted at TeEACH is characterised by strategies that authentically engage and feature children’s voices and supports their participation as agents of positive change.

This presentation will showcase several TeEACH research projects that seek to understand children’s perspectives and feature children’s voices.

• How children understand the Acknowledgement to Country rituals and its role in promoting a sense of belonging and place
• The role of children as health ambassadors in an Indigenous community
• Child participation in the development of a best-practice framework for culturally and linguistically diverse children in out-of-home care
• How children define the concept of ‘wellbeing’ and how it should be measured
• Children as change agents to support school readiness

Presenters: A/Prof Rebekah Grace, A/Prof Christine Woodrow, Dr Kelly Baird, Dr Catherine Kaplun, Doctoral Candidate Philip Good

Partners: Western Sydney University Early Learning, Uniting Church of Australia, Malpa Foundation, Settlement Services International, Key Assets, Barnardos, Anglicare, Mission Australia, Mackillip family services, Wesley Mission, Challenge Community Services, and Children Australia.