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Education

Objective                 

• To develop the community’s knowledge, awareness, understanding and commitment to conserve and interpret their heritage.

Key Strategies

• Develop and maintain a program for the establishment and coordination of educational activities within the organization.
• Develop and maintain links with relevant educational agencies.
• Develop and provide curriculum resource materials and programs for primary and secondary schools, teachers and students.
• Initiate, assist and promote community based education programs including tertiary institutions.
• Assist and participate in heritage projects within the broader community that provide opportunities for members and volunteers to take an active role in local heritage issues.

Performance Measures

• Record the number of participants utilising the education programs and activities available to schools (per term).
• Record the number and types of educational training opportunities for teachers, school leaders and community members offered by the National Trust (per semester).
• Survey to determine the degree of satisfaction evidenced by educational bodies and participants of the National Trust programs.
• Conduct random surveys to compare the range of knowledge, awareness, understanding and commitment to conserving and interpreting WA’s heritage demonstrated by National Trust clients.

Features of the 2000/2001 Education Program

Tour Through Time

• Completed publications and launched education resource packages
• Planned, conducted and evaluated Teacher Professional Development programs at specific Trust properties
• Planned, conducted and evaluated presentations at education facilities, seminars and conferences
• Managed, coordinated and evaluated school visits to metropolitan Trust properties

Golden Pipeline Project

• Managed and coordinated the recording and transcription of oral histories – Women of the Pipeline, Men of the Pipeline
• Developed, delivered and implemented Teacher Professional Development programs for Mundaring Weir
• Managed and coordinated the research and development of schools education resources

Luisini Winery Project

• Liaison and management of education research and data gathering by Luisini Project Officer
• Liaison and coordination of educational research by Interpretation Committee

Volunteer Guides

• Developed, delivered and evaluated Education Volunteer Guide seminar programs
• Recruited and promoted the role of Volunteer Guides for school visits to properties

Administration

• Liaison with education systems and sectors through education networks
• Liaison with teacher professional associations through membership, executive and active involvement
• Liaison with Museums Australia as Education Sig. representative of WA
• Liaison Government Plan for Women 2001-2005 – as a lead agency in past planning the National Trust is again having input into the development of the next Government Plan.  Through the auspices of the Women’s Policy Office, the Education Manager has been attending workshops since last October, the latest being held on Tuesday 23 January 2001.  The National Trust is participating through the avenue of “Better Service” with the opportunity to devise guidelines, frameworks and themes for future policy. 

New Initiatives

2000/2001 saw the National Trust education program progress beyond the Tour Through Time resource materials into two key Trust projects, The Golden Pipeline and Luisini Winery, and a collaborative project between education providers in the West Perth precinct. 

In order to develop education resources that are appropriate to 21^st century education expectations, the Golden Pipeline materials for students and teachers are being developed in a staged process that includes the development of an interactive website, teacher resources and student on-site activities.  The first stage of this education program focuses on the Mundaring Weir precinct.

The education resources for schools are being developed with a learning area outcomes-focused structure.  The processes and product that the National Trust is creating are supporting the changes in education pedagogy brought about by the introduction of the Western Australian Curriculum Framework.  To this end a program of teacher professional development has also been implemented during this year.

This initiative has enabled teachers to visit the National Trust’s heritage sites and to learn first hand the ways in which a visit can enhance their students’ understandings and awareness of WA’s heritage.  By demonstrating the ways in which the learning outcomes and on-site school visits can be linked teachers and their students are empowered in the learning and teaching process. 

To further facilitate this process school bookings for the metropolitan Trust properties are now organised through the Manager Education Services with invoices issued from Trust Headquarters.  The Manager Education Services liaises with property guide co-ordinators to ensure times are suitable and that there are no overlapping bookings.  This process also enables the requirements of particular education systems to be met in a timely and efficient manner. 

In order to increase the appeal and scope of the National Trust education programs a collaborative project between the Trust, the Parliamentary Education Office and Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority was developed.  The focus for this project was to celebrate the Centenary of Federation by linking student understandings about the Active Citizenship outcomes of the Curriculum Framework.  This project enables students to actively engage understandings about democratic process, ecological sustainability and social justice through class visits and participation in the education programs offered by the three venues.  Students can identify examples of citizenship and leadership of the past, the present and explore the ways in which they can actively engage in issues relating to cultural, environmental and built heritage.  Linking the stories and issues faced by Western Australia in the lead up to, and post, Federation engages students in decision-making, role-playing, investigation, interpretation and perspectives of history over time.

This year the National Trust education program has undertaken to provide a work experience placement for two Swan View SHS Year 12 Tourism and Hospitality students.  These students attend Trust Headquarters one day a week to work in the various core program areas and, with the assistance of all of the Trust staff, are gaining valuable knowledge and skills about the  National Trust of Australia (WA)and it’s role in conserving and interpreting heritage.

Highlights

• “Tour Through Time” education resources completed and an official launch was held Thursday 25 July 2000.  The then Minister for Education, Colin Barnett officially launched the resources at the National Trust Headquarters.
• City of South Perth provided sponsorship of the Old Mill publications.
• Shire of Swan purchased copies of the Woodbridge resource materials and provided a copy to each of the schools within their shire boundary.
• Successful launch of Luisini Winery project at the Italian Club which was linked to “Italian Week” and incorporated the Italian Home Made Wine Judging evening.
• The ongoing development of partnership programs through the auspices of the Civics Education Reference Group.  This group consists of educators from the Constitutional Centre, the Electoral Education Centre, Francis Burt Law Centre, the National Trust of Australia (WA), Perth District Education Office, Education Department of Western Australia Learning and Teaching Directorate, the Western Australian Curriculum Council, Edith Cowan University, the Australian Electoral Commission, schools and WAMA.
• In October 2000 the State Cubilee  was held at Trust Headquarters with a focus on activities providing understandings about the Federation of Australia.  The Cubs enjoyed a variety of activities provided by the education facilitators in the West Perth precinct.
• ICOM/CECA Conference in New Zealand “Culture as Commodity” (International Conference of Museums / Cultural Education Association).
• Visits to Museums and Heritage places in Dunedin, Gore, Hokitika, Greymouth, Wellington.
• Research for Golden Pipeline project relating to the work done by CY O’Connor on various sites around the South Island of New Zealand prior to his arrival in Western Australia.
• The first Education Corporate Membership was taken up by Orana Catholic Primary School.
• The publication of the Tour Through Time library book by Hazel Biggs was completed in February 2001.
• Museums Australia Conference – Canberra April 22–27 2001.  The theme  being, Australian collections, Australian cultures:  museums and identities in 2001.
• The partnership between the Parliament Education Office, Kings Park Education Office and the National Trust is providing teachers the opportunity to attend to the three aspects of Active Citizenship and the links to the Centenary of Federation entitled:  “Active Citizenship:  Celebrating the Centenary of Federation at Parliament House, National Trust and Kings Park”.   The launch of this education program and teacher resource was held at Parliament House in May 2001. The Premier, Dr Geoff Gallop provided the foreword for the publication.
• Women of the Pipeline oral histories – interviews and transcriptions completed by Dr Leonie Stella.

Volunteer Activities and Participation

• Education Volunteer seminars were conducted at National Trust Headquarters and at Old Farm, Strawberry Hill.
• Education Volunteer Guides’ Christmas lunch hosted at Trust Headquarters.

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