1. Gunawirra
Invisible seed of all
creation

2. Centres of Excellence
 Small centres of Excellence
 Early intervention models
 Based on:
Theoretical proven constructs
− Attachment theory
− Dynamic psychotherapy
− developmental theories

3. Breaking the Cycle for children,
families, communities
 Breaking the cycle of trans-generational
poverty, violence and abuse
 Working effectively with families, teachers
and carers of aboriginal children during
pregnancy, birth and up to age five
 Through out back country, regional and
suburban areas

4. Unique Grassroots Organisation
 High need children
 High professionalism
 Fully researched
 Models of excellence
 Disseminated to preschools

5. Our Projects ARE
 Innovative
 Designed by top quality, highly experienced
professionals
 Generated from parents, workers and the
Preschool community
 Working at the interface of education and
emotional and physical health
 High Preventive component
 Easily Replicable
 Action Researched and fully evaluated

6. Five big ideas
1. Personal Health and Hygiene

7. 2. Nutrition
Five big ideas

8. 3. My Culture, My Identity
Five big ideas

9. 4. Healing & Resilience
Five big ideas

10. 5. My Land, Our Environment
Five big ideas

11. Five Big Ideas
 The big idea
 Puppets “good morning”
 Mum and dad join us for community day
 Art and dreamtime stories
 Games to play

12. Inner Suburbs Mother’s groups
 Mother’s Groups
 Individual psychotherapy
 Leadership Programs
 Watching baby and parenting classes
 Cooking and nutrition
 Art, photography and pottery
 Massage

13. Seminars and care for the
professionals
 Seminars for professionals
 Telephone weekly or fortnightly
 Self Care for professionals
 Training sessions
 Technical education on trauma
 Papers, book chapters and 2 books

14. Better Value ! Better Investment!
Great leverage!
 High Effectiveness with high dollar value
 Low administration costs
 Action on the ground
 Impact immediate on child family and
community
 Long term benefit

15. Impact and Effectiveness
 Highly Effective
 Long term benefit
 Strong impact
 Low administration costs

16. Strategic Goals by 2015
 5 Big Ideas
 Full implementation in 25 Preschools
 2000 children, 700 parents, 250 teachers
 Mother’s Group
 To reach 40 -50 families
 Complete evaluation of the program
 Wider roll out
 Disseminate our learning and advocate for change
 Build the infrastructure and governance systems
to be sustainable
 Double total income and expand sources of income

17. Why Participatory Research ?
 Ethically approved and academically validated
 Demonstrates the value and equality of
participants in relation to researchers -
respectful of Aboriginal communities
 Enables continuous improvement from the
‘ground upwards’ in a genuine partnership
 Provides a rigorous, in-depth evaluation
 Helps produce grounded accessible materials to
implement programs more widely
 Enables publication in journals, conferences and
seminars both in Australia and internationally

18. Thank you
Gunawirra Board, Workers, Parents and children
thank you for this
opportunity