The session that Jackie and Anne will deliver will include the following elements:
- Introduction to the First 1000 Days that reinforces the values and principles of the First 1000 Days Australia movement
- How we Implemented First 1000 Days through a cultural lens; implementation perspectives in Queensland across two sites.
- Share our experience of the way we have seen community workers interact with families.
Activities:
- Reflective practice exercise drawing on peoples lived experiences, their knowledge, their professional experiences that have influenced them directly and in-directly when they are interacting with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This exercise will highlight the differences and how much they are drawing on their own personal and professional values, beliefs and experiences.
- What events in your personal and work life has influenced how you operate. Understanding privileges and how to be mindful of these privileges.
- What are the cultural strengths and community assets of the communities you work and live in? Map out these services, communities, organisations, stakeholders, and families to find out who you want to actively engage with.
Facilitators: Jackie Bennett & Anne Taylor
Jackie Bennett is a Kamilaroi, Bigambul woman from St George in South West Queensland and is a wife, mother of 4 beautiful adult children and a grandmother of 6 gorgeous grandchildren.
Jackie has recently been employed by Melbourne University as the Regional Implementation Manager for the Moreton Bay Region in South East Queensland to Implement the First 1000 Days Australia program into the Moreton Bay Region. Jackie’s past employment history includes being employed as the Cultural Diversity Advisor for C&K in Brisbane and Site Coordinator in Townsville for Good Beginnings Australia. In these roles, she has demonstrated her commitment to engaging families and children into educational programs and educated early childhood educators about the importance of Embedding Aboriginal Perspectives in their classrooms.
Jackie was sponsored in 2016 by Educational Experience to participate in the Global Leaders for Young Children Program which is part of the World Forum Foundation. Since becoming a Global Leader Jackie has also been involved in the World Forums Indigenous People’s Action Group and a World Forum National Representative for Australia.
Jackie is currently the Vice President of the Koobara Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Kindergarten and Pre-School Board which has been in operation for 43 years.
Anne Taylor was born in Ayr, Queensland and raised across the river in Home Hill and has spent the last 20 years living in Townsville. She is of Irish and Torres Strait Islander descent with 
connections to the Dauer Meriam tribe from Mer (Murray Island). With her partner Lee Douglas, they are blessed with 3 beautiful daughters aged 21, 12 and 9 and spend most of their time supporting their daughters with their soccer commitments.
The Queensland Government provided Anne with an avenue to enter the workforce and the positions she has held over the past two decades have allowed her to build her skills, ability, knowledge and experience in working with and for individuals and families experiencing vulnerability, disadvantage and marginalisation.
Anne has a broad range of experience in child protection and family reforms, community development, project management, procurement and contract management in the North Queensland region such as Burdekin, Palm Island, Charters Towers/Hughenden, Ingham and Townsville.
In 2017, she decided to complete further studies and received a scholarship with the Department of Communities, Child Safety & Disability Services Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholarship program to study a Bachelor of Human Services through the University of Southern Queensland.