My name is Elliot Keen, and I am the Aboriginal Education Officer at Bishop Druitt College. 

I believe being in this new role opens the opportunity to be a positive role model for indigenous students while supporting them in their classrooms. This role should help the indigenous students to feel proud of their culture and help them to achieve their potential. I am enjoying working with classroom teachers in providing all students with culturally appropriate content with relevance to local culture.

My role will help children feel connected to culture and have a sense of belonging within the college.

I have been working within schools for 12 plus years in a range of roles such as Teacher Aide, classroom teaching (both primary and early childhood), Aboriginal Educational Officer, Community Engagement Officer, and others. These roles have helped me to gain knowledge and experience working in classrooms with children and their teachers as well as connect with families and the community.

Working with the BDC Goori Group is a part of the role I am really enjoying. I believe the main purpose of Goori Group is to help our children to connect to their culture whether being “on country” or “off country” and feel a sense of belonging. I would like to see the Goori Group flow into the classrooms, where they can pass on what they have learned to their peers and teachers. The children should feel proud of their culture and willing to share this, not only in the school but in the community. I hope within my role I will be able to foster this learning by creating connections with relevant elders, community members, and community organisations in the school.

What I am most looking forward to is seeing the whole school grow in their understanding and appreciation for the Gumbaynggirr culture and supporting that to the best of my ability. I am looking forward to working with the Goori Group and sharing my knowledge and understanding of culture with them as well as learning from them. 

BDC welcomes Elliot to the team!