AAPEC is a collective of people committed to embedding Aboriginal Perspectives in early childhood services, focusing on local Victorian cultures. The group is made up of both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal early childhood professionals.
The group draws on its members’ experience and expertise to provide professional development and learning opportunities for early childhood services regarding embedding Aboriginal perspectives in the curriculum.
In 2017, AAPEC was awarded a Warrawong Grant to develop Possum Skin Pedagogy: A Guide for Early Childhood Practitioners. Dr Sue Atkinson AM (Yorta Yorta) authored the document with support from several Victorian Elders, senior members of the Aboriginal community, SNAICC, and the AAPEC Possum Skin subcommittee.
The Possum Skin Pedagogy Professional Learning Project was established in response to feedback from Aboriginal participants, who expressed the need for narratives to be implemented alongside an Aboriginal Elder or community member. This project was funded by the Association of Graduates in Early Childhood Studies (AGECS) and coordinated and led by AAPEC under the direction of Dr. Sue Atkinson AO.
A second section of the guide documenting the journey and outcomes of the Learning Project was produced in 2019.
The third instalment of the publication, Possum Skin Pedagogy: A Chain of Allies in the Early Years Landscape was published in 2020.
Early childhood teachers and professionals are invited to download a free copy of the combined publications.
