At Scola and TCG, we are continually seeking ways to promote cultural inclusion among our children. We believe that cultural inclusiveness isn’t just about ethnicity—it’s about recognising and celebrating the rich diversity of family traditions and beliefs, including music, religion, special vacations, dance, language, recipes, and more. Each family has its unique culture, contributing to the richness of our community. To support this, we are excited to introduce a new initiative called ‘Captain Kaartdijin’.
“Kaartdijin”, in our local indigenous Whadjuk Noongar language, means ‘Culture’ or ‘Knowledge’.
The Captain Kaartdijin initiative is designed to help our children learn about and appreciate the different cultures and backgrounds of their peers. We aim to focus not just on ethnicity but also on the unique experiences and traditions each family brings. This initiative will enable children to learn about inclusion, understand similarities and differences, try new foods, experience different music and dance, and learn about various traditions and customs. Our goal is to encourage children to develop a broader perspective of the world and appreciate the diverse experiences and backgrounds of their peers. Here, we want to take a look at the beliefs, values, norms, symbols, language and rituals and traditions.
Every family will participate in the initiative – culture isn’t something that can be experienced alone! Every two weeks, we’ll select a child to be our Captain Kaartdijin. This child will receive a bag, cape, scrapbook, and camera, embarking on a very exciting mission. The mission involves finding something in your household that symbolizes your family’s culture. For instance, a young boy who visits a café after school might bring in a menu from his favorite café or a coffee cup used for his smoothie. This symbolises an important tradition in his family and forms part of his cultural identity. For other families, it might be a song, a recipe, or an ornament from a weekly ritual like attending a football match or a religious mass. Our picture book, “Families”, will highlight the diverse elements of culture and is an essential part of this mission.
It’s important for families to spend time together exploring the contents of the bag. Read through the scrapbook to see what other families’ cultures look like, discuss traditions and beliefs, discover new rituals, and spend quality time together.
Every two weeks, our Captain Kaartdijin will return to the meeting to share their culture with friends and help select the next Captain! This initiative is precious to us, so please take care of our items and respect them as property shared by all children at Scola.
CIRPSGs:
The Captain Kaartdijin initiative is a vibrant and engaging way to meet several key goals of the Cultural Inclusion and Reconciliation Plan (CIRP). Here’s how it aligns with the outlined objectives:
1. People: This initiative directly fosters positive participation and interaction by making culture a hands-on, lived experience for children. By providing a Captain Kaartdijin cape, it not only encourages children to explore their own cultural identity but also helps to build respect and understanding among children from diverse backgrounds, thereby fulfilling goals 1b (Cultural Respect) and 1c (Representation).
2. Places: The Captain Kaartdijin initiative extends the inclusive educational environment from Scola to the home, helping to bridge the gap between the two and create a continuous, culturally rich learning experience. This aligns with goal 2a (Culturally Responsive Spaces) by using a symbolic item from Scola to make the home an extension of the inclusive learning environment.
3. Perceptions: By making culture a part of daily life and play through the Captain Kaartdijin capes, this initiative helps to promote the value of cultural diversity and an inclusive mindset. It challenges the idea that culture is static or belongs to certain groups, supporting goals 3a (Celebrate Diversity) and 3b (Address Stereotypes).
4. Practices: Encouraging children to “create their culture at home” with the Captain Kaartdijin cape embodies the practice of implementing a culturally responsive curriculum. It is an example of the practical, hands-on approach mentioned in goal 4a (Inclusive Curriculum) and goal 4j (Create opportunities for children, families, and staff to learn from and engage with diverse cultural traditions and practices).
This initiative stands out as a creative method to engage children in the appreciation of their own and others’ cultures, highlighting inclusivity and the living nature of culture in a way that is accessible and empowering for children.
Cultural Inclusion: The initiative is fundamentally about cultural inclusion, encouraging children to see and experience culture as a daily, lived experience that is not confined to certain groups. By engaging with various cultural narratives and symbols through the Captain Kaartdijin cape, children learn to appreciate and incorporate elements of different cultures into their own lives, fostering a sense of belonging and respect for diversity.
Disability Inclusion: The initiative can promote disability inclusion by ensuring that the Captain Kaartdijin capes and associated activities are accessible to all children, including those with disabilities. This could involve making capes that are adaptable to different mobility or sensory needs, and creating activities that are inclusive of children with a range of abilities. It promotes the idea that every child, regardless of ability, can be a cultural creator and participant.
Gender Inclusion: The superhero theme of the Captain Kaartdijin cape can be designed to be gender-neutral, thereby challenging traditional gender roles and stereotypes. By encouraging all children, regardless of gender, to create and celebrate their own culture at home, it can foster a sense of equality and dismantle the notion that certain cultural expressions or roles are gender-specific.
Socioeconomic Inclusion: The initiative has the potential to address socioeconomic barriers by ensuring that the capes are provided at no cost to the families, thus allowing children from all economic backgrounds to participate equally. Furthermore, by encouraging children to explore and share their cultural experiences, the initiative can bridge socioeconomic divides, highlighting commonalities and shared values rather than differences.