Burns, Pippa R. Dr

<p>The project utilised a mixed-methods approach to gain an understanding of children’s knowledge and perceptions of dementia. Prior to exposure to the intervention, children’s knowledge of dementia was measured using a previously developed tool from the Kids4Dementia Project (Baker, Goodenough, & Low, 2015). The children then completed an art work representing a personal memory with the help of local artists. Photography was used to capture the artwork at this stage.</p><p> </p><p>A week later, a short education intervention occurred, which explained dementia, the signs and symptoms, the reasons people get dementia, what people with dementia might do, and how we can help people with dementia in our communities. A week after the educational intervention the children were given a colour photocopy and a black and white photocopy of their initial artwork and an art board. The children then asked to add to their initial artwork based on what they had learnt about memory and dementia. At the completion of the project, the children were asked to complete the knowledge survey for a second time. <br /><br /> The people involved in the research included an interdisciplinary group of academics from UOW, a teacher fromthe local public school and a local artist. The group grew to include the local public school community, including the administrative and teaching staff of the school, parents, community members, and other local artists</p><p>The teachers at the school commented on the benefit of this project (see video) and suggested this could be delivered to other schools. We have also been contacted by other international institutions and hope to work together to deliver similar projects in their regions. </p><p>There is much research that looks at the best way that we can teach our children in schools and a recent trend is "short, cyclical programming" where students are taught in short spurts of time with outcomes that relate to other subject matter. Project DARE successfully utilised this pedagogy in the one hour, six part lesson on dementia. As educators discuss and struggle to meet the outcomes of the "crowded curriculum" it is often the fine arts that begin to suffer in our school systems. This project harnessed the exquisite skills of experts in the community to share their passion of visual arts with the children and helped them to explore their creative talents without added stress, work, time, or clean up for the teachers themselves. In this way, each expert, whether researcher, artist or teacher, was able to impact the children.</p><p>Project DARE opens the doors to future university/school/community partnerships where all three groups work together. We believe that a global Project DARE is on the horizon where we share the vision, expand the purpose, include more health related issues and create a global impact of working together to strengthen our communities.</p><p> Dr Eady was recognised as an Impact Maker for her involvement in this and other projects involving Communities of Practice at the 2018 Impact Makers Awards <a href="http://www.uow.edu.au/research/impact-makers/UOW250604.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.uow.edu.au/research/impact-makers/UOW250604.html</a></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>

This survey is currently live (April 2018) and data is still being collected. The survey has been promoted through social media and is open to crocheters world wide.

<p>The “Let’s Share a Story” project aimed to encourage and enhance reading and yarning for children from birth to 12 years of age and involved collaboration between the Illawarra South Coast Branch CBCA (ISCCBCA) and the UOW in consultation with local Aboriginal elders, services, organisations and children.  The ‘Let’s Share a Story’ booklet is packed with facts and easy-to-follow tips to help children with their reading. Ideas cover children from babies to upper primary age. The benefits of yarning with children, and reading with parents, siblings, grandparents, Aunties and Uncles are also discussed. Let’s Share a Story continues to be a valuable resource in the community and, more generally.<br /><br />The booklet features elements from a commissioned painting “<em><strong>Captured Images of Culture</strong></em>” by well-known local Aboriginal artists Aunty Lorraine Brown and Aunty Narelle Thomas. In the words of the artists, “<em>The Painting tells of images of the past and present A culture so old The past and present come together Our culture will always remain</em>”.  <br /><br />Following publication of the booklet, the painting was donated by the ISCCBCA to the UOW Art Collection, and is displayed prominently at Early Start, to inspire the students who are our future early childhood professionals.<br /><br />This resource was distributed as part of a literacy package to community health centres and pre-schools throughout the Illawarra, including:</p><ul><li>Woonona Early Childhood Health Centre/Family Care Cottage Woonona</li><li>Miinya Biynag Boori, Midwifery & Family Health Centre, Shellharbour Hospital</li><li>Nowra Early Childhood Health Centre</li><li>Binji Boori, Shoalhaven AMICHS, Nowra</li><li>Noogaleek Children’s Centre, Berkeley</li><li>Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service Medical Centre, Dapto and Wollongong</li><li>Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation Community Centre</li><li>Mount Warrigal Supported Playgroup</li><li>Koonawarra Supported Playgroup</li></ul><br />Delivery of packages to Noogaleek and the supported playgroups involved “share and read” sessions, were conducted by CBCA members, in collaboration with UOW education students with connections to the local Aboriginal community. These students were guided in visiting the centres, outlining key messages from the booklet and reading stories.<br /><br />Bookmarks providing links to resource material were produced for easy dissemination at local community events. Copies of the resource have been catalogued by UOW library, and the NSW State Library has archived the booklet to ensure access is preserved into the future.<br /><p>Let’s Share a Story continues to be a valuable resource in the community and, more generally, the booklet and bookmarks can be used as a ‘talking point’ to promote awareness about the benefits of reading to children. Let’s Share a Story also inspired and encouraged adults in the community to not only read to their children but also for their own enjoyment.</p><p>Wollongong City Library was provided with a digital version of the resource, and funded the printing of an additional 1000 booklets, which will be distributed to local libraries into the future, ensuring the sustainability of this project. Since project completion, other community groups, including Careways Community, have requested, and been provided with, copies of the booklet.<br /><br />The project continues to be managed by our community partner, the ISCCBCA.  Resource material and book packages have now been distributed between Helensburgh and Nowra, with plans in place to continue distribution further south. Aspects of the project are largely self-sustaining as the resource is freely available online.<br /><br /></p><p></p>

<p>The project utilised a community based participatory research  approach  to build on the strengths and resources within the community to develop a multi-sensory environment (MSE). The strength of this approach came from giving a voice to the parents, carers and people with disabilities, who are often marginalised. This inclusive approach was applied throughout the three phases of the research study. (The strong impact of this approach was evidenced throughout the three phases of the research study in that parents, carers and people with disabilities who are often marginalised were given a voice.) By giving a voice to these stakeholders who are not often heard in research proejcts, enabled the research team to develop new perspectives on knowledge and understanding of this topic. (This approach also led to the development of new knowledge for a variety of stakeholders whose voices are not often heard in research projects.)</p><p>The other impact was the provision of a publicly available leisure and respite option for families and individuals, especially those living with a disability. Access to a resource like our MSE is an increasingly important issue (area) for families with a member with disabilities or mental health issues.</p><p>This best practice MSE also impacts on self-determination of individuals as it allows the individual to choose the equipment that they interact with in the room. Also the MSE has impact beyond the Illawarra in that it has provided a model for the development of a best practice model for flexible use, community based, multi-sensory environments in Australia and overseas.</p>

<p>The project utilised a mixed-methods approach to gain an understanding of children’s knowledge and perceptions of dementia. Prior to exposure to the intervention, children’s knowledge of dementia was measured using a previously developed tool from the Kids4Dementia Project (Baker, Goodenough, & Low, 2015). The children then completed an art work representing a personal memory with the help of local artists. Photography was used to capture the artwork at this stage.</p><p> </p><p>A week later, a short education intervention occurred, which explained dementia, the signs and symptoms, the reasons people get dementia, what people with dementia might do, and how we can help people with dementia in our communities. A week after the educational intervention the children were given a colour photocopy and a black and white photocopy of their initial artwork and an art board. The children then asked to add to their initial artwork based on what they had learnt about memory and dementia. At the completion of the project, the children were asked to complete the knowledge survey for a second time. <br /><br /> The people involved in the research included an interdisciplinary group of academics from UOW, a teacher fromthe local public school and a local artist. The group grew to include the local public school community, including the administrative and teaching staff of the school, parents, community members, and other local artists</p><p>The teachers at the school commented on the benefit of this project (see video) and suggested this could be delivered to other schools. We have also been contacted by other international institutions and hope to work together to deliver similar projects in their regions. </p><p>There is much research that looks at the best way that we can teach our children in schools and a recent trend is "short, cyclical programming" where students are taught in short spurts of time with outcomes that relate to other subject matter. Project DARE successfully utilised this pedagogy in the one hour, six part lesson on dementia. As educators discuss and struggle to meet the outcomes of the "crowded curriculum" it is often the fine arts that begin to suffer in our school systems. This project harnessed the exquisite skills of experts in the community to share their passion of visual arts with the children and helped them to explore their creative talents without added stress, work, time, or clean up for the teachers themselves. In this way, each expert, whether researcher, artist or teacher, was able to impact the children.</p><p>Project DARE opens the doors to future university/school/community partnerships where all three groups work together. We believe that a global Project DARE is on the horizon where we share the vision, expand the purpose, include more health related issues and create a global impact of working together to strengthen our communities.</p><p> Dr Eady was recognised as an Impact Maker for her involvement in this and other projects involving Communities of Practice at the 2018 Impact Makers Awards <a href="http://www.uow.edu.au/research/impact-makers/UOW250604.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.uow.edu.au/research/impact-makers/UOW250604.html</a></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>

This survey is currently live (April 2018) and data is still being collected. The survey has been promoted through social media and is open to crocheters world wide.

<p>The “Let’s Share a Story” project aimed to encourage and enhance reading and yarning for children from birth to 12 years of age and involved collaboration between the Illawarra South Coast Branch CBCA (ISCCBCA) and the UOW in consultation with local Aboriginal elders, services, organisations and children.  The ‘Let’s Share a Story’ booklet is packed with facts and easy-to-follow tips to help children with their reading. Ideas cover children from babies to upper primary age. The benefits of yarning with children, and reading with parents, siblings, grandparents, Aunties and Uncles are also discussed. Let’s Share a Story continues to be a valuable resource in the community and, more generally.<br /><br />The booklet features elements from a commissioned painting “<em><strong>Captured Images of Culture</strong></em>” by well-known local Aboriginal artists Aunty Lorraine Brown and Aunty Narelle Thomas. In the words of the artists, “<em>The Painting tells of images of the past and present A culture so old The past and present come together Our culture will always remain</em>”.  <br /><br />Following publication of the booklet, the painting was donated by the ISCCBCA to the UOW Art Collection, and is displayed prominently at Early Start, to inspire the students who are our future early childhood professionals.<br /><br />This resource was distributed as part of a literacy package to community health centres and pre-schools throughout the Illawarra, including:</p><ul><li>Woonona Early Childhood Health Centre/Family Care Cottage Woonona</li><li>Miinya Biynag Boori, Midwifery & Family Health Centre, Shellharbour Hospital</li><li>Nowra Early Childhood Health Centre</li><li>Binji Boori, Shoalhaven AMICHS, Nowra</li><li>Noogaleek Children’s Centre, Berkeley</li><li>Illawarra Aboriginal Medical Service Medical Centre, Dapto and Wollongong</li><li>Coomaditchie United Aboriginal Corporation Community Centre</li><li>Mount Warrigal Supported Playgroup</li><li>Koonawarra Supported Playgroup</li></ul><br />Delivery of packages to Noogaleek and the supported playgroups involved “share and read” sessions, were conducted by CBCA members, in collaboration with UOW education students with connections to the local Aboriginal community. These students were guided in visiting the centres, outlining key messages from the booklet and reading stories.<br /><br />Bookmarks providing links to resource material were produced for easy dissemination at local community events. Copies of the resource have been catalogued by UOW library, and the NSW State Library has archived the booklet to ensure access is preserved into the future.<br /><p>Let’s Share a Story continues to be a valuable resource in the community and, more generally, the booklet and bookmarks can be used as a ‘talking point’ to promote awareness about the benefits of reading to children. Let’s Share a Story also inspired and encouraged adults in the community to not only read to their children but also for their own enjoyment.</p><p>Wollongong City Library was provided with a digital version of the resource, and funded the printing of an additional 1000 booklets, which will be distributed to local libraries into the future, ensuring the sustainability of this project. Since project completion, other community groups, including Careways Community, have requested, and been provided with, copies of the booklet.<br /><br />The project continues to be managed by our community partner, the ISCCBCA.  Resource material and book packages have now been distributed between Helensburgh and Nowra, with plans in place to continue distribution further south. Aspects of the project are largely self-sustaining as the resource is freely available online.<br /><br /></p><p></p>

<p>The project utilised a community based participatory research  approach  to build on the strengths and resources within the community to develop a multi-sensory environment (MSE). The strength of this approach came from giving a voice to the parents, carers and people with disabilities, who are often marginalised. This inclusive approach was applied throughout the three phases of the research study. (The strong impact of this approach was evidenced throughout the three phases of the research study in that parents, carers and people with disabilities who are often marginalised were given a voice.) By giving a voice to these stakeholders who are not often heard in research proejcts, enabled the research team to develop new perspectives on knowledge and understanding of this topic. (This approach also led to the development of new knowledge for a variety of stakeholders whose voices are not often heard in research projects.)</p><p>The other impact was the provision of a publicly available leisure and respite option for families and individuals, especially those living with a disability. Access to a resource like our MSE is an increasingly important issue (area) for families with a member with disabilities or mental health issues.</p><p>This best practice MSE also impacts on self-determination of individuals as it allows the individual to choose the equipment that they interact with in the room. Also the MSE has impact beyond the Illawarra in that it has provided a model for the development of a best practice model for flexible use, community based, multi-sensory environments in Australia and overseas.</p>