Taree High School’s senior leader community engagement officer, Jaycent Davis has received the Naga Mai Award for Outstanding Leadership in Aboriginal Language for his ongoing work integrating culture and language into the school community.
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Coming up to his fifth year in the role, Jay has worked hard to implement a number of positive changes around the school, but insists that to him, the job is more fun than work.
“I was pretty shocked to receive the award actually, I do a lot but I just think I’m doing what I love, and language is part of that, so it’s easy,” Jay explained.
“It was a state wide award, so I was pretty pleased to receive it, I know they are pretty tough so it’s nice to be recognised.”
Walking through the school grounds, the work Jay has done is clearly evident, creating a colourful, exciting educational environment.
“In my role, I am responsible for integrating different levels of language and culture into the school environment,” Jay said of the vibrant atmosphere.
“It’s part of a five year strategy called connective community strategy that is in place across the state. It’s all about a strategic and innovative approach to education and how aboriginal culture and learning is an integral part of this country, and that needed to come back into play.”
The implementation of the strategy came after up to 90 per cent of students in a number of schools across the region were pulled out of classes, their families unhappy with the low level of cultural learning in the education their children were receiving.
“Families were just taking students out of school because there wasn’t that much being taught that was relevant to them,” Jay explained.
“As a result, the Department of Education created this new strategy to cater for these communities.
“A big project we are working on at the moment is preparing for NAIDOC week. This year we are putting on a night performance, and for that the students are making their own tap sticks.
“Every year I try to visually stimulate the audience. Last year we had a lot of lighting, but this year with the night performance we are doing glow in the dark. So for that we are making the tap sticks glow in the dark, the spears too.
“It’ll look really cool, it will be a visual boom.”