Skip to content
AWCH logo with white background
  • About
    • About AWCH
    • History
    • Board
    • Staff
    • Our Supporters
    • Join AWCH
  • What We Do
    • For Health Professionals
    • For Families
    • Ward Grandparent Program
    • Rights of the Child
  • Resources
    • Projects
    • Documents
    • Blog
    • AWCH Library
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Youth Engagement
    • Walking The Talk
    • Collaborate & Connect
      • Toolbox
  • About
    • About AWCH
    • History
    • Board
    • Staff
    • Our Supporters
    • Join AWCH
  • What We Do
    • For Health Professionals
    • For Families
    • Ward Grandparent Program
    • Rights of the Child
  • Resources
    • Projects
    • Documents
    • Blog
    • AWCH Library
  • Contact Us
  • Donate
  • Youth Engagement
    • Walking The Talk
    • Collaborate & Connect
      • Toolbox
  • Toolbox: Home
  • Model for Engagement
  • Full Handbook
  • Resource Library
  • Plan & Design Guide
  • Worksheets & Templates
  • Glossary
  • Toolbox: Home
  • Model for Engagement
  • Full Handbook
  • Resource Library
  • Plan & Design Guide
  • Worksheets & Templates
  • Glossary

Collaborate & Connect Toolbox

For Non-Indigenous Organisations to Better Engage with First Nations Young People

The Collaborate & Connect Toolbox is a collection of resources and tools to help non-Indigenous staff and organisations approach, plan, design, and deliver authentic and effective engagement with First Nations young people. Created through workshops with First Nations young people, the full project findings can be found in the Final Report. 

The Toolbox centres around the Collaborate & Connect Model for Engagement and accompanying Handbook. Developed in collaboration with First Nations young people, the Model and Handbook offer information, insight, reflections, and actions for the three key Foundations: Intersectionality, Cultural Humility, and Decolonisation. 

The Toolbox also contains a Resource Library, information and tools for planning and designing engagement, activity worksheets, templates, and visual resources, and a glossary.

Start exploring the Toolbox below! ⬇️

Download PDF Version

Model for Engagement

The Model aims to provide a framework for non-Indigenous organisations to engage with First Nations young people effectively and authentically. It was designed to address the needs identified by collaborators including:

  • Education for non-Indigenous organisations on key topics such as cultural load, intersectionality, decolonisation and cultural humility
  • An intersectional and individual approach to engagement
  • Multifaceted accessibility considerations
  • Decolonisation of services, organisations, and systems

Find a one page PDF and other visual resources here.

Learn more

Full Handbook

The Collaborate & Connect Handbook contains the Model for Engagement and provides a foundational guide to begin learning about, reflecting on, connecting to, and acting on the Foundational concepts of Intersectionality, Cultural Humility, and Decolonisation. 

The Handbook contains:

  • Definitions, information and research
  • Activities for reflection and connection
  • Guidance for applying the Model in practice
  • External resources and links for further learning and other tools
Download

Resource Library

A collection of external resources covering topics including:

  • Accessibility
  • Co-design
  • Decolonisation
  • Truth telling
  • …and much more!
Go to Library

Plan & Design Guide

Includes details of our approach to planning & designing engagement and feedback from First Nations young people.

Plus a checklist for planning & assessing your approach, covering areas such as:

  • Cultural responsiveness
  • Promotion and recruitment
  • Communication
  • Accessibility
  • Remuneration and recognition
Learn more

Glossary

A working glossary of key terms relevant to engagement with First Nations young people. From engagement and co-design to intersectionality and decolonisation.

Glossary

Worksheets & Templates

Includes individual activity worksheets from the Handbook, covering topics such as identity, culture, colonisation & decolonisation. Download, print, and start reflecting! Plus examples & templates of project materials based on project feedback, including Information Sheet and Certificates.

Learn more

Feedback

We want to hear from you! The Toolbox is a living resource, so we are always open to feedback on ways to improve, change, and evolve it! To provide feedback on the Toolbox, click here. 

Give feedback

Contact Us

Bella_Headshot
Bella Spongberg-Ross
Project Officer

(They/Them)

projects@awch.com.au

Anthony-Brown-300x300
Anthony Brown
Executive Director

(He/Him)

abrown@hcnsw.org.au

awch-staff-elizabeth-harnett-executive-director
Lizzy Harnett
Chief Executive Director

(She/Her)

lizzy@awch.com.au

Funding for the Collaborate & Connect project in 2024 was provided by the City of Sydney.

We are also supported by NSW Health through AWCH and Health Consumers NSW.

AWCH acknowledges the Wallumedegal people of the Darug Nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we work. We honour  and value their enduring care for Country and pay respect to Elders past and present.
 
We recognise the strength and leadership of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people and commit to working alongside First Nations communities in the pursuit of equitable and accessible healthcare for all.

AWCH is committed to celebrating, valuing, and affirming people of all backgrounds, genders, sexualities, cultures, bodies, neurotypes, and abilities.

We value the willingness and openness of people sharing lived experience perspectives and acknowledge that this is integral to our work, and to effective change.

AWCH logo with white background

Advocating for the needs of children, young people and their families within the healthcare system since 1973.

Quicklinks

  • For Health Professionals
  • For Families
  • Ward Grandparent Program
  • Healthcare rights for children
  • Projects
  • Join AWCH

Follow Us

Facebook Twitter Instagram Linkedin

Contact Us

Association for the Wellbeing of Children in Healthcare (AWCH)

Building 40B
Gladesville Hospital
Cnr Victoria & Punt Roads
Gladesville NSW 2111
Australia

Tel: 02 9817 2439
Email: awch@awch.com.au

Accredited by

AWCH Accreditation logo

Funded by