At the start of this year, we had finished up our very first 'Reflect' Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). The 'Reflect' journey was invigorating and we learned so much during that process, individually and collectively as well. As Studiosity's RAP Chair, I knew I wanted to expand the work we were doing further and develop an 'Innovate' RAP in 2024 - but I also knew it wasn't going to be a simple or quick process, because there is nothing simple or quick about making meaningful change and impact.
Throughout the first quarter of 2024, I spent time drafting the Innovate RAP as an extension of 2023's 'Reflect' process, based on everything we had learned and the foundations we had laid.
March 2024: We submitted our first draft of the Innovate document to Reconciliation Australia for feedback. Taking this next meaningful step, we wanted to commission a bespoke piece of artwork that represented an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander artist's vision of our brand and its role in Australia's reconciliation journey.
April 2024: We enlisted Worimi artist Tiaan Shutt to create a custom artwork for Studiosity's Innovate RAP. She called it ‘Students at the Centre’.
You can read more about the piece and Tiaan herself in our RAP document.
May 2024: Our first round of feedback from RA emphasised that we needed to appoint an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person to consult on our RAP Working Group before endorsement could happen. Though we had stipulated that we would do this as part of our RAP deliverables, we instead needed to ensure this person was officially in place prior to embarking on this 'Innovate' chapter.
As RAP Champion, I spent some time thinking on this and reaching out to discuss it with various of our partners and contacts. One such very important conversation was with Mark Heiss, Deputy CEO at the GO Foundation (with whom we have a longstanding social partnership) - and he recommended that I speak with Jane Stanley, the Director of the University of Sydney's Gadigal Centre. I can't thank Mark enough for his generosity of spirit and warm friendship this year as we have navigated this process. He has been an invaluable supporter.
In late May, it was National Reconciliation Week which we celebrated by soft-launching our Innovate RAP internally with an office (and online) lunch meeting. Tiaan joined to give us a live explanation of her journey and the artwork. We also hosted a screening of the documentary 'Off Country' in the office, as part of NRW's "Reconciliation Film Club". It was a hot topic of conversation around the office afterwards - it's a documentary that really makes you think about what is 'right', and who should be deciding what is right for young people - and particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people.
June 2024: I visited the Gadigal Centre to meet with Jane, and we had a wonderful yarn. She showed me around the Centre and told me all about the students, and the incredible work they're doing. I was impressed, and asked her if she would be a consultant on our RAP Working Group. Fortunately, she agreed and we formalised the arrangement shortly thereafter.
Map of where all the students at the Gadigal Centre come from
July 2024: During NAIDOC Week, we celebrated at the office with a morning tea featuring a range of teas made from Australian gum (eucalyptus) leaves as well as some staples like lamingtons. We had created postcards with the beautiful 'Students at the centre' artwork, and a template text for an Acknowledgement of Country on the reverse. Everyone got laptop stickers that used pieces of the RAP artwork, and these were posted to all Australian staff members who weren't at the Sydney HQ.
I also created a short video and a written explanation for our internal staff newsletter about when, how and why to do an Acknowledgement of Country.
August 2024: After another round of feedback, we finally received conditional endorsement for our RAP in August.
September 2024: The formal endorsement for our Innovate RAP came through on the 21st September 2024. This meant we could publish the final document in its beautiful designed format with the artwork, both on our website and on Reconciliation Australia's website.
Our GO Foundation social partnership continues to be a strong element of our RAP, and our general contribution to improving outcomes for Indigenous students. We attended a number of their events throughout the year to engage with teachers and scholars about how to leverage Studiosity for maximum academic gains.
Attending a 'Culture Connect' day with the GO Foundation in September
October 2024: Another moment when I was so grateful for our GO Foundation partnership was when one of it's founders, AFL Legend and Australian of the Year recipient Mr Adam Goodes himself, agreed to sit on a panel about Indigenous leadership and their vision for education in Australia. He was joined by Prof Braden Hill from ECU, and Sarah Scott - a student at UNSW. The panel was chaired by Mark Heiss.
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Read more about how excellent this conversation was, or watch the recording of it, here.
Another thing that happened in October was the first meeting of our RAP Working Group since launching the Innovate RAP. The meeting was held at the Gadigal Centre with Jane, and we had such a nice time there we decided to have all our meetings there going forward. Seeing the students walking around, all the decor - it's a special space they have created.
November-December 2024: Since that meeting we have been busy getting to work on some of our deliverables, and creating a bit of a map of what the next 2 years will look like with the Innovate RAP. I'm truly excited to get stuck in to all the work and learnings, and I know the rest of the RWG feel the same way.
