A group of students from a primary school in Adelaide’s north have taken out one of three top prizes in a national technology challenge that celebrates First Nation's culture.
The years 6 and 7 students at Salisbury North Primary School entered the national Indigital Minecraft Education Challenge in September, which saw around 6,500 students from 160 schools across the country compete.
The challenge required students to build something in the game of Minecraft that celebrates this year’s NAIDOC theme, ‘Heal Country’.
Over a month, the students banded together and built a school of the future which included a yarning circle, a turtle sanctuary, a cultural burning station, and a greenhouse.
Founder and CEO of Indigital, Cabrogal Woman, Mikaela Jade, told NITV News the creation by the students of Salisbury North was “phenomenal”.
“What we really loved about their submission was to imagine the school of the future that embraces cultural knowledge, language and lore,” said Ms Jade.
“The challenge allows Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to work around cultural knowledge, language and lore and new technologies.
“We’re wanting this program to be in every school across the country.”
Ms Jade said she wanted Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and teachers to imagine what their school could be like if cultural knowledge was more embedded.
An overview of the school the class from Salisbury North Primary School created to with the 2021 Minecraft Education Challenge. Source: Indigital
While the challenge began as an online venture, it has started becoming a reality.
The yarning circle, designed and built online by the students, has now been built in real life at their school.
"All the students, they all put their ideas forward, they had a big yarn with Aunty Deb and they decided that this is what we want in our school and this is what's missing in our school now," said technology teacher Tina Giglio, who assisted the students.
"They were all really keen to put a yarning circle in and to make sure that all the classrooms came together as one.
"Our students here really believe that coming together as one and all learning off each other and from each other is really important to them.
"The students led the entire project themselves and built the school of their dreams using Minecraft."
For the win, they were awarded one of only three Xbox Series X gaming consoles, uniquely painted by Gubbi Gubbi artist Maggie-Jean Douglas after they won the Indigital Minecraft Education Challenge.
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Student Matthew Dedecke told NITV News that he hoped their would inspire next year’s class to participate, as it was beneficial for everyone involved.
“We kind of see, all of us as an inspiration to the younger ones,” said Mr Dedecke.
“So hopefully when we move off to high school, they’ll follow in our footsteps, so maybe if this comes up next year, they can kind of do the same thing.
“The friendship of this challenge bonded us all together… it’s been a really great experience.”
Students, Matthew Dedecke (left) and Talieya Williams (right) with their brand new Xbox Series X painted by Gubbi Gubbi artist, Maggie-Jean Douglas. Source: NITV News.
Learning about culture and language
Kaurna and Narungga student, Talieya Williams, 12, said both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students learned new things that they didn’t know about culture and language.
“I learned new Kaurna language and I also got to work with my friends," said Ms Williams.
“I think it's pretty important that we learn our language because soon, it might be lost.
“No one knew it but now that a lot of us and a lot of little ones are learning it, it can still be a language that we learn in the future.”
The school's Aboriginal Community Education Officer, Ngarrindjeri, Narungga and Kaurna man Robbie Young said it was important for kids both Indigenous and non-Indigenous to work together on such projects from a young age, as it shapes their future perspectives and relationships.
“The group of kids that we’ve got here are quick to come over and help out a person that's struggling and make sure that they're getting on the right track," said Mr Young.
"Some of them have really come out of their shells through this project and are starting to become leaders amongst their peers.
"It's gonna give them enormous confidence in moving forward with their education and this could be a stepping stone to something special down the future.”
The school says it looks forward to participating again in the 2022 Indigital Minecraft Education Challenge.
