For a few minutes children are encouraged to think about caring for the land, the people and the animals who all share it.

Cootamundra Preschool are among the first Riverina preschools which have joined the Walking Together program.

Developed by the NSW Department of Education it’s aimed at making members of indigenous communities more welcome in preschools.

Preschool director Keryn Bell said the benefits of the program had been broader and had positive impact on the children.

“The big impact has really been on the students, it’s developed an awareness for the children,” Ms Bell said.

“They’ve got a real understanding of respect, they wait quietly during the acknowledgement of country and treat the materials they use with respect.

“It’s respect for people, the environment and even down to the insects in the playground.”

The acknowledgement of country has been adapted for the preschoolers and reads; “We at Cootamundra Preschool would like to say thank you to the Wiradjuri people, we would like to say thank you for letting us share your land, we promise to look after it, the people and the animals too”.

For Reconciliation Week this year, they focused on Aboriginal languages and culture and created a banner with foot prints from children and parents to emphasise their place in the community.

As well as the acknowledgement of country, children have been exploring parts of Aboriginal culture through art and activities.

“We didn’t want to be tokenistic, we wanted to see Aboriginal education to be more than just a box to be ticked or doing it because it’s seen to be doing the right thing,” Ms Bell said.

Cootamundra Preschool first started using the Walking Together program in 2017 and after some professional development have worked out a way to implement it into their weekly curriculum. 

“It’s opened up more avenues to take learning further, doing the acknowledgement of country has led to questions from children.”