Yurauna, a Wiradjuri word meaning "to grow", is Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT)'s dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander centre for educational excellence, offering tailored culturally appropriate courses that focus on literacy, numeracy and communication, and providing vocational education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
This purpose-built space provides Aboriginal students and Torres Strait Islander students with a modern, culturally safe environment to support learning, connection and success with flexible learning areas, a specialist art room, meeting and collaboration spaces, yarning and quiet rooms, a student commons deck with a fire pit and areas for cultural activities including sewing, dancing, storytelling and language learning.
CIT Yurauna head of department Wendy Brookman says the new building is a special place: not just because of its proximity to other learning spaces at the CIT Bruce campus, but because of the people behind the centre as a purposely community-engaged build.
"There's been a lot of engagement with the staff, there's been input from current students and previous students, as well as the input of community members, and I think you can see that throughout the building and the build itself. This was a process which began with our prior director Auntie Caroline Hughes who was amazing with the advocacy work on getting this up and running and Catherine Law, who's our current director, has done a phenomenal job taking on that advocacy and getting the build completed," she says.
Designing with purpose
The architectural design is inspired by Ngunnawal country, reflecting the landscape, the Dreamtime story of Mulleun and the cultural significance of using local materials, colours and textures that echo the natural environment. CIT worked closely with the Ngunnawal community to co-design the space.
"It's a beautiful room, and it has beautiful artwork from Annette Shea who is the daughter of the late Aunty Agnes Shea, our senior Elder. Every room has a special touch from our previous students."
Wendy Brookman, CIT Yurauna head of department
"You can see that in the safe places, with the colours, the rooms set up: we've got our yarning rooms, [which] has been fantastic for our students, a mid-sized conference type room that we hope to have open for more of our community, we've got our cultural room where a lot of our work to promote and encourage and cultural awareness is delivered," she says.
CIT Yurauna has also been built to blend in with the surrounding natural environment, with positive feedback from Yurauna staff, students, and the community of their new space and amenities.
"You open the window, and there's some form of Country that you're seeing, whether it is gum trees, native plants … or out the back there's a big yarning circle area where international students come down to learn about Aboriginal Australia, cultural safety and awareness. They absolutely love it. We've had classes that finish, and you still have students just hanging around an hour after class."
Culturally-specific offerings
Yurauna offers coursework in general education, community services, arts, white card, silica and asbestos certification and other specialist areas to fill training gaps, with more to come.
A range of educational and student support services are also available, as well as spaces for cultural awareness and safety training.
CIT Yurauna also has been building relationships with local community organisations such as Ngunnawal Bush Healing Farm and Thirrili, local schools and with students already on campus to engage with the space and students.
Brookman says the new facilities has allowed more face-to-face engagement with students.
"It's had such a positive impact and an impact that has been needed and wanted for so long. It's a place of connection, there's a sense of belonging."
Wendy Brookman, CIT Yurauna head of department
"I get the feeling that that's across the board: anyone that comes down here has that feeling," she says. "When you combine that with education and a lot of our students that might potentially not have had that connection through education prior, it's powerful: the engagement, the completion, we've seen an increase in."
Engaging students
Brookman says the importance of culturally safe spaces and belonging can change trajectories and lead to new pathways of learning for students, especially those at risk.
"Having a space like this, that not only addresses the cultural safety barriers, but it also has that sense of belonging and a sense of connection to it: that is huge," she says.
"I think having that initial engagement, having that, 'look, this is what TAFE or CIT can offer' can potentially open other pathways for students that may not have necessarily known about or how to engage with."
She says the joy from the students is what drives her passion for teaching.
"They're here breaking cycles and making new ones and that strengthens the community."
Wendy Brookman, CIT Yurauna head of department
"The students in our own units that we deliver, to other cohorts like the amazingly invested international students who just want to learn so much about our culture are the reason to why I turn up," she says. "Even our students, with potential barriers or who could just go, 'you know, it's too hard type thing', they still show up. Every week."
This space, she says, is "actually a community".
"We're proud for our community to have this. I think that's the most important thing. We know that this is for our community," she says.
She says the next essential step will be to have onsite childcare: "It's quite a barrier for a lot of our students."
Brookman also looks forward to a time when every campus is a Yurauna.
"That'd be great," she says. "But not just for the students, who obviously are the priority, but how great would that be even for other cohorts? Like the nursing diploma students, and childcare, where there's delivery from a cultural aspect. How great would that be to be able to have them there, and then they can engage and work collectively together.
"It's not just a building that's built but a community of learning."
