This session explores how non-Indigenous outdoor educators can meaningfully and respectfully consider Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ perspectives when planning and teaching the VCE Outdoor and Environmental Studies (OES) curriculum. The session highlights the importance of relationality, truth telling, and place based learning achieved through respect for Country and informed by community voices emanating from the First Nations in Education subject developed by Indigenous academics and conducted with pre-service teachers in the Master of Teaching at Melbourne University. Participants will unpack key knowledge and skills from the VCE OES study design and examine how they intersect with Indigenous ways of knowing, being, and doing.

Co-presented by Dr John Quay and Belinda Dalziel, the session will share practical strategies, examples of school-based partnerships, and reflective teaching practices that foster deeper student understanding of connection to Country.