The following sessions can be booked at any time during the year, at a venue and time of your choosing. The cost per participant is $25 (funded) or $50 (unfunded). FKA Children’s Services requires eight weeks notice to organise a session.

Some of these sessions are explained in detail in the calender, others have an explanatory overview listed here. It is possible to negotiate slight changes to the sessions, as so as to make them more relevant to your service. Please contact us for further information or to make a booking.

Customised Topics already listed in the Calender

• A Taste of our Community - Exploring foods from Local Markets - August
• Making Culturally Reflective Resources – November 
• Inviting Play – August and November 
• Peace in Play: Actively Promoting Peace in Children’s Services – November
• Raising Children - A Cultural Perspective - August
• Settling Newly Arrived Families - October
• Supportive Environments for Children Learning English as a Second Language – October
• The Art of Storytelling - September
• Thinking about Culture: Avoiding the Tourist Approach – August and November 
• Walk a Mile in My Shoes: Refugee and Migration Experiences – September and November
• Cultural diversity - A Challenge in a Monocultural Community - August, September and November

A Taste of China

China is widely renowned for its tremendous range of food, variety of its cooking methods and flavours as well as its attention to texture and colour. This cooking session will provide participants with an overview of some Chinese social customs. They will also have the opportunity to cook Chinese recipe and share information with a panel of bilingual workers.

A Taste of Somalia - Cook’s Session

Somali is on the south east coast, the coastline forms the outer rim of the Horn of Africa. This cooking session will provide participants with an overview of some Somali social customs as well as the opportunity to cook Somali recipes and share information with a panel of bilingual worker.

Cultural Perspectives of Islam

As the number of children and families accessing children’s services reflects the growing diversity of Melbourne’s community, it is vital that services are well informed about cultural beliefs and practices. This interesting and interactive workshop will increase participants’ understanding of Islam. Participants will have an opportunity to hear from a member of the Islamic Community, explore aspects of the Islamic faith and have the opportunity to ask questions.

Promoting and Marketing Play

Promoting and advocating the importance of play to families can be challenging, especially with many diverse cultural perceptions of what constitutes ‘learning’. This session will explore positive and responsive ways to market play, along with providing opportunities to explore different cultural perceptions and values of learning.

Taboos and Traditions: Horn of Africa or Burma

Our behaviour and beliefs are strongly influenced by our culture and lived experiences. This session will explore some of the cultural taboos and traditions from either the Horn of Africa or Burma. We will discuss the impact they may have on children and families and the role of children’s services.

Working with a diverse team

Bilingual staff have a crucial role in supporting children from culturally and linguistic diverse backgrounds when they access a children’s service. They can facilitate the settling in period, help maintain children’s first language, assist children in developing a positive identity and incorporate the families’ culture into the everyday life of the service. This session will outline ways to expand the role of bilingual staff at services.

> When booking this session, please discuss which cultural community group/s you would like represented on the panel.