Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
Cultural Awareness Workshop – Sydney, January 2024
Tracey Dennis, CEO – Engineering Aid Australia – EAA, partnered up with ZSIC Indigenous Consultants as part of strengthening EEAs cultural capabilities, through the development of their Indigenous Alumni Student Engineering Pathways Program. Over the last twelve months, ZSIC has consulted and engaged with a variety of EAAs Engineering partners to explore further ideas for this purpose.
To begin, ZSIC created and delivered two unique Cultural Awareness Training – CAT sessions. One for 2023 and 2024. On Tuesday 16th January 2024, ZSIC delivered the second CAT with Engineering Aid Australia’s 25 Indigenous Alumni students from Qld, NSW and Vic. This formed part of their celebrations of their 26th Indigenous Australian Engineering School. The future for engineering in Australia looks bright, as these remarkable and passionate 25 young original custodians embracing new cultural learnings and revisited some of the old ones from their communities, that continue to serve them well over more than 60,000 years.
A massive CONGRATULATIONS goes out to Tracey Dennis (EAA CEO), Anne-Vans Colina (EAA Director) and their extended management team members, for all the time and energy spent on strengthening the pathways for young Indigenous school students seeking, and interested in, a career in engineering.
ZSIC is grateful for the opportunities to work alongside EAA and their partners and look forward in increasing their cultural footprint moving forward.
Cultural Awareness Training – CAT Session
- Welcome / Acknowledgement of Country
- Where do we come from?
- What is Country?
- What is Culture?
- What do you know?
- The Three C’s
- Aim of EAA for Indigenous Engineers
Reviews / Feedback
This event has gone more in depth into what “Culture” is and who we are than any other Aboriginal related event I have done before. It made me think of “Country” as something other than a place with a name. The humour used in the event, even if unrelated to the topic, had everyone constantly listening in to the conversation, allowing more people to share their views, improving the overall experience, and allowing us to experience what it is like to be in the feet of working engineers.
Connor Harris, Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
Cultural Awareness Training, January, 2024
Todays workshop was a great insight on how other people, outside of myself, or immediate family, view their identity as an ATSI person. It highlighted how although we are all from vastly different areas, by land, we have a deep connection through core beliefs and values. The workshop helped me further understand, or expand on, my own understanding of who I am, and my purpose in life. It cemented my values and I have already developed, through the communities I am apart of, and ultimately reassured me on who I am, my purpose, and my future intentions through engineering.
Koby Reid - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
Cultural Awareness Training, January, 2024
I believe that the growing indigenous companies and scholarship program are helping the traditional custodians of this land as the young generation comes through, we are all connected as one mob and all in ourselves spiritually and culturally are traditional custodian engineers of the near future. I really liked it.
Zyon Nona - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
Cultural Awareness Training, January, 2024
These types of workshops really helps me find and know my belonging and identity, someone who I stand for, my people, my culture and my family. I know now that I am proud to rise with my culture and help what’s becoming our future as indigenous peoples from being an engineer. Thanks for your help and confidence and support. This was really inspiring 🙂
Shaun McKenna - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
Cultural Awareness Training, January, 2024
I loved this and I hope it can be shared more with our younger generations.
Preston Magick - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
Cultural Awareness Training, January, 2024
Thank you Zeke for this day. I enjoyed being here, connecting with others to learn about our history, culture but most importantly learning about who we are and where we come from. I look forward to doing this again thank you so much for it and i really am amazed so thank you and hopefully to see you again.
Lucy Driscoll Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
It was really good and made me feel empowered and encouraged me to do engineering. It justified why we should we be engineers and how it’s a part of our culture.
Hannah Bond - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
I love this. It has allowed for new ideas to sprout within me, it has also allowed me to think about my future employment and where I might want to end up towards the end of my life.
Riley-Connor McCaw - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
The speeches and the personal engagement have convinced me that I belong in an engineering industry.
David Jones - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
Very inspiring presentation and very involving, which made the experience feel very special. I feel proud of my culture and have learned how important my culture is in relation to my interests in engineering, which has made me feel really reassured in what my purpose is.
Nicholas Green - Driscoll Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
Uncle was very clear and understanding with the group and actually listened to what everyone had to say, he made us feel comfortable and understand more about our culture and how it all links to engineering.
Alyssa Ivinson - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
I really enjoyed the activity, it reminds me that I am myself and not a stranger. This activity teaches me that I am more than just a person with a background, I am unique but I belong.
Mia Pemberton - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
My favourite part was the drawing of country. It was great to see that Engineering and culture has such a deep interconnection with each other.
Ashley Bond - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
It was really great, informative and fun.
Tobie Hubber - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
Zeke was incredibly engaging and made everyone felt included. He created a culturally safe environment and we were all able to share our thoughts and knowledge.
Miranda Mahoney - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
Such a strong presentation by zeke, very informative and cultural meaning. overall excellent program and presentation.
Mason Kunkel - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
I really enjoyed learning about the history of my culture and my background.
Mollie Cook - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
This activity gave me a lot of new information and was given in a fun enjoyable way.
Jacob Johnson - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
I loved learning about other’s opinions on culture about where they are from.
Ella Jablonskis - Engineering Aid Australia (EAA)
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