SWiRL community partners
Read about the role of our partner and how to form a partnership with SWiRL.
The role of community partners
The SWiRL program is made possible through the generous support of Anglicare NT – East Arnhem Communities for Children and, for the first time this year, The Smith Family as our Community Partner in Urapunga. Both organisations deliver Communities for Children initiatives funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services, and their partnership enables SWiRL to continue providing meaningful, culturally grounded learning opportunities for children and families. We deeply value this support, which strengthens our capacity to work alongside communities and sustain the program’s impact into the future.
The Communities for Children objectives are to improve the health and well-being of families and the development of young children, from before birth through age 12 years, paying special attention to:
- Healthy young families – supporting parents to care for their children before and after birth and throughout the early years.
- Supporting families and parents – support for parents to provide children with secure attachment, consistent discipline, and quality environments that are stable, positive, stimulating, safe, and secure.
- Early learning – providing access to high-quality early learning opportunities in the years before school; providing early identification and support for children at risk of developmental and behavioural problems; and assisting parents with ways they can stimulate and promote child development and learning from birth.
- School transition and engagement – supporting children and families to make a smooth transition to school and working with local schools to assist children and families with their ongoing engagement with school.
We aim to create strong, child-friendly communities that understand the importance of children and leverage this capacity to maximise the health, well-being, and early development of young children at the local level.
Community partner perspectives
We are proud to share reflections from Anglicare NT – East Arnhem Communities for Children and The Smith Family - Katherine Region Communities for Children, whose partnership and support make the SWiRL program possible. Their experiences provide a valuable window into the program’s impact and highlight the strength of working together with communities to build meaningful learning opportunities for children and families.
Opportunities for partnership
SWiRL welcomes partnerships with those who share our vision for equitable and culturally responsive education. By supporting SWiRL, partners invest in a place-based initiative that strengthens teacher education, promotes two-way learning, and builds meaningful relationships between educators and communities. We are actively seeking collaborators who value Indigenous-led approaches and are committed to supporting future educators to work with respect, humility, and cultural integrity.
Without the support of our community partners, the SWiRL program would not be possible. We are deeply grateful for the support we receive and for what it enables us to achieve together. The hundreds of storybooks written by school students over the years form an important library of knowledge, culture, and lived experience.
Thank you!
SWiRL partners
