Parent and Community

PaCE - Parental and Community Engagement Program

In June 2010 Kurbingui Youth Development Association (KYDA) was successful in sourcing funds from the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) to implement the Parental and Community Engagement Program (PaCE) to the Brisbane North Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community.

PaCE is a statewide program being delivered in various locations throughout Queensland including Logan, Bayside, Townsville, Cherbourg and Beaudesert.

The PaCE program is designed to enhance the capacity of parents/caregivers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to engage with schools and education providers to improve educational outcomes for their children. PaCE activities include the formal establishment of partnership agreements between parent groups and school leadership to work together to improve the overall status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students of their schools. PaCE can also provide support and advice to parent groups to engage and interact more effectively in their children’s educational challenges particularly reading, writing and school attendance. PaCE activities are flexible and unique and can include:

Yarning Circles
Coping with your teenager;
Homework classes;
Budget Meals;
Understanding social networking;
and budgeting

Kurbingui Youth Development Association and the Brisbane North Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community has identified 27 state schools, both primary and secondary to increase parental involvement in the education of their children. To date Community/ School Partnerships have been established at the following schools:

Earnshaw State College
Brackenridge State High School
Taigum State School
Zillmere State School
Mitchelton State High School
Sandgate District State High School
Aspley State High School
Sandgate State School
Wavell State School
Wavell State High School

For more information on PaCE visit the DEEWR website at www.deewr.gov.au or check out the DEEWR corporate DVD on the webpage.