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This article reflects on collaborative research undertaken in Dawkins Park Reserve, NSW, Australia. The aim of the collaboration was to develop a local Indigenous cultural and educational outdoor precinct. Participants involved Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous teachers and primary (Year 6) and secondary (Year 7) school students from three government schools and one catholic school. Fostering student knowledge of, and stewardship about, the reserve’s ecological biodiversity specific to climate change effects over time was the desired outcome. In this article, we share the successes and key challenges of using this park as a case study for outdoor learning as a case study for outdoor learning about climate change in an authentic, localised setting, and the contributions of Indigenous cultural and scientific knowledge to the development of the students’ understanding. Questionnaires and focus group discussions were undertaken with 174 students, while seven teachers engaged in focus group discussions. Quantitative data supported the significant increase in learning enjoyment outside the classroom and improved understanding of climate change at a local level. Conversely, departmental policy and COVID were identified as constraints for regular off-campus learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The growth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in Australian higher education from 1959 to the present is notable statistically, but below population parity. Distinct patterns in government policy-making and programme development, inconsistent funding and political influences, together with Indigenous representation during the last 50 years have shaped the higher education participation of Australia’s Indigenous populations. In this article, the authors identify a constant ideological flux between welfare, equity and economic priorities in successive Australian government approaches impacting on equal opportunities for Indigenous Australians in higher education. Maintaining and increasing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participation in higher education requires a continued focus on targets for higher education enrolments, governance and working with Indigenous educators. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article reports on a research project that investigated the aspirations of primary and secondary school students about access to, and participation in higher education. The research was undertaken at schools in low socio-economic status regional and rural areas of north-eastern New South Wales. The paper discusses the background to the research and the methodologies used. It reports findings on the impact and intersections of demographics, financial factors, geographic location, and cultural and social capital in relation to the formation of students' perceptions, choices and decisions about participation in higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research1 was designed to investigate innovative practices associated with child-friendly cities2 initiatives in the United Kingdom and Italy and how civics and citizenship initiatives are being applied into practical programmes of exploration and learning in geography and environmental education. The Child-Friendly Cities Initiative (CFCI) of the United Nations Children's Fund was launched in 1996 at the UN Conference on Human Settlement (Habitat II). At this conference it was declared that the well-being of children is the key indicator of a healthy habitat, a democratic society and good governance committed to children's rights. The CFCI was closely allied to the 1990 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, in which the right of children and young people to participate in the life and decision-making of their communities became a human right. Child-friendly cities initiatives have provided a framework and a myriad of programmes in which to create ways for children and young people to develop and exercise citizenship and participation skills. These projects assist young people to investigate issues relevant to their social and spatial worldviews, to interact with local government and community resources, to develop research skills and to promote the development of spatial competence and confidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]