The National and Victorian Framework documents indicate the importance of the natural environment in the learning process for young children. The aim of these seminars is to give people working with children in Out of School Hours Services information and support in the most practical way that can be taken away and implemented.
It is recognised today that children are spending more time indoors than ever before, and that we must adopt strategies to encourage children and families to be outdoors in the natural environment. Therefore, OOSH services have a major responsibility to create environments which will encourage play outdoors in the elements, and to plan to develop playspaces to incorporate key elements of the natural environment.
Play Australia (formerly The Playgrounds & Recreation Association of Victoria) invites you to attend a seminar about outdoor play environments in Out of School Hours Services in Victoria. Seminars will be held in 6 locations around Victoria and bookings will be on a first come basis. Each seminar will be limited to 50 participants.
There will be no cost to participants to attend the seminars and lunch will be provided.
Where will the seminars be held?
| Location |
Date & Time |
Venue |
| Shepparton |
Friday, 2 September 10am-2pm |
Quest Shepparton 177-183 Welsford Street, Shepparton |
| Werribee |
Thursday, 8 September 10am-2pm |
Wyndham Vale Community Centre, Wyndham Vale Manor Lakes Boulevard and Howqua Way Wyndham Vale Melways Ref:204 E1, H1 |
| Sale |
Friday, 23 September 10am-2pm |
Rooms 3 and 4, Community College ACES Campus, 55 Raymond Street, Sale |
| Broadmeadows |
Friday, 14 October 10am-2pm |
Global Learning Centre, 1093 Pascoe Vale Road, Broadmeadows Melways Ref: 6 H7 |
| Ararat |
Friday, 28 October 10am-2pm |
Great Hall, Gum San Heritage Centre 31-33 Lambert Street, (Western Highway), Ararat |
| Knox |
Friday, 11 November 10am-2pm |
Millers Homestead Corner Melrose Court and Dorrigo Drive Boronia. Melways Ref: 65 E5 |
Who should attend?
Staff owners and operators of licensed out of school hours services.
How to register
Go to the Events Calender and register for one of the venues. Online registration is the only method for registration. Each event will take a maximum of 50 participants and online registration will automatically close for each event once this number is met.
If you are a play Australia member, please login to the site before you register.
The program will:
- reinforce the value of outdoor play;
- broaden understandings of outdoor playspaces;
- demonstrate creative and engaging, natural outdoor playspaces;
- identify the relevant regulations and link with the VEYLDF and the national requirements for all children’s services in 2012; and
- provide strategies to implement change in outdoor playspaces.
All participants at all 6 sessions will receive a copy of the SCHOOL AGE CARE TRAINING HANDBOOK, 2011.
Program trainers
Two of the following 4 well-qualified and experienced trainers will deliver the program.
| Sue Elliott (Cert IV, Dip KTC, B Sc Hons, MSc) | Sue has worked in a range of early childhood settings including long day care, sessional preschool and mobile preschool as a kindergarten teacher. She has lectured at the tertiary level at both TAFE and university levels over many years and regularly conducts training for all education sectors within Australia. She has a commitment to education for sustainability and in particular, natural outdoor playspaces. Sue is co-author of several books including ‘Early Childhood Environmental Education: Making It Mainstream’ and edited ‘The Outdoor Playspace: Naturally’. She is Convenor of the Australian Association for Environmental Education Early Childhood Special Interest Group and a PLAY AUSTRALIA Board member. Currently, she lectures at RMIT University and is completing doctoral studies about sustainable outdoor playspaces at the University of New England. |
| Pattie Morgan (Dip. T (EC); Grad. Dip Sp. Ed (EC)) | Pattie’s experience includes working in both schools and early years services, mentoring teachers and pre-service teachers over many years. She has played a role in developing good professional practice, culminating in a Knox wide Philosophy of Education, presenting workshops for teachers and long day care educators in outdoor programming and preparing a poster presentation on "Outdoor play spaces that enhance the social and emotional development of children with Additional Needs”. Currently she is a consultant in outdoor programming and play space design, and providing training to FDC, OOSH, and LDC services and she is a PLAY AUSTRALIA Board member. |
|
Deb Moore (Dip.T (EC); MEd (EC))
|
Deb has over twenty years experience working in sessional Preschools and OOSH services in a wide variety of places in both urban and semi-rural settings. She has worked in the TAFE sector delivering Certificate III and Diploma of Children’s Services units of study, delivering adult training covering topics such as Gardening with Children, Outdoor Playspaces and Sustainability Practices for children’s services. Currently she is the Sustainability Officer for Knox City Council developing and implementing an early years education for sustainability program. Deb has recently completed her Master of Education (Early Childhood) and has written a thesis on children’s secret places in early childhood services. |
| Kerry Rogers (Dip KTC, B Ed) | Kerry has a long standing involvement with preschool programs both as a teacher, trainer and consultant specialising in outdoor play and environments. Her teaching experiences have included semi-rural, metropolitan and inner urban areas as well as in the demonstration program at the Melbourne Lady Gowrie Child Centre. She has been responsible for coordinating both federally and state funded in-service training programs as well as in presenting training sessions and keynote addresses at many conferences. She has also been involved in the training, assessment and mentoring of students from a range of tertiary training institutions. |
For further information
Barbara Champion, Executive Director, Play Australia barb@playaustralia.org.au