Partnership with Flinders Early Childhood Education

Recently Emali Early Learning Centres announced an exciting partnership with Flinders University.  We asked our quality coordinator  Katherine Coulter to tell us what this means!

Tell us a little about why Emali decided to work with Flinders Uni?

Emali decided to work closely with Flinders Uni to support the students studying their early childhood qualifications. As a result part of our partnership agreement with Flinders involves the university students undertaking uni placements in our centres.

What does that mean for our centres, families and staff?

As a result, Emali will then have exposure to the most current researched child related education and development through the early childhood students. Our Emali educators will then be provided with opportunities to engage in professional development through Flinders University. This will then have a direct impact on the care and education provided.

Tell us about some of the exciting projects coming up.

We currently have 3 workshop groups of Flinders University students undertaking a Work-integrated learning (WIL) project. Each of these projects works with 3 of our Emali centres (Hectorville, Brighton and Morphett Vale)

Each workshop group works alongside the centre to  support with a social or emotional dimension of their Quality Improvement Plan (QIP). This project is part of the Pedagogies of Belonging topic EDUC3522. This topic has a mix of 1st year Education (Early Childhood and Special Education), Disability Studies and 3rd year Education (Early Childhood)/Arts students.

Recommendations are then made to the centres on how to progress on the centres improvement plan.

As a result Emali educators  were fortunate enough to be provided with a professional development opportunity through flinders uni. Our educators participated in a workshop relating to mindfulness of pedagogies  of possibilities  – Growth Mindset with Dr Leigh Burrows and Dr Jessie Jovanovic.’

That sounds like it’s an important course (resource) for the University?

The university values the opportunity for their students to undertake “real life” work. As a result of the partnership, students use their topic content knowledge,  learning outcomes and applying emerging theoretical and policy understandings to a real life early childhood practice.

Thanks Katherine!  We look forward to checking in with you and keeping updated on all the exciting projects!