Cultural Education Program Introduction

Deepen your understanding of Country, culture and community over time.

Our Cultural Education Program supports a deeper understanding of Country, culture and community through learning what happens in Country and over time. Rather than a single session, the program is delivered as a guided learning journey across different locations in Newcastle and the Hunter Valley. This allows knowledge, connection and understanding to build gradually, in a meaningful way and with care.

Each session builds on its setting to deepen connection and enhance learning through experiential, reflective and relational practice.

MOUNT SUGARLOAF SESSIONS NOW OPEN – Select Your Preferred Date

Select Preferred Date
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WHY THIS 3 HOUR PROGRAM EXISTS & HOW IT WORKS

We often hear from organisations and individuals who want to engage respectfully with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and work in ways that are culturally informed, however they don’t always know how to build that understanding in practice. We also receive similar enquiries and challenges regarding how people can care better for Country.

This program responds to these needs through engaging with Country - where knowledge is shared through relationship, experience and reflection, rather than in an office or meeting room.

Delivered as a sequenced learning journey, participants begin with Session 1 and move through the program in order. Each session builds on the last, with learning shaped by Country, stories and perspectives of that place.

Mawambul Famil

This approach supports participants to:

  • Build a deeper understanding of local history and Country
  • Enable stronger connection and knowledge to better care for Country
  • Understand how culture and place shape community, relationships and decision-making
  • Reflect on their own roles, responsibilities and ways of working

GROUP SIZE & FORMAT

  • Sessions are delivered in smaller groups to support respectful engagement and meaningful learning.
  • 12–20 participants per session
  • Each session is facilitated by two highly experienced Aboriginal cultural educators. This format allows space for conversation, reflection and relationship-building, while ensuring learning is grounded, supported and culturally respectful.

MOUNT SUGARLOAF SESSIONS NOW OPEN – Secure Your Preferred Date

Please select your preferred date below, and a member of our team will be in touch shortly with further details.

Select Preferred Date
SHARED EXPERIENCE
"As a land use planner and immigrant, navigating the Connecting with Country Framework initially felt overwhelming. I moved to Australia nearly 15 years ago and have always wanted to engage more deeply with this space; however, the brutal history of this land is sobering, and I never really knew how to begin or where to turn for authentic guidance.
My cultural education day at Mt Sugarloaf with Mawambul was an absolute turning point. Learning directly from Elders and leading cultural consultants moved me from a place of hesitation into a welcoming introduction to the Aboriginal worldview. They revealed the profound connectivity of the landscape and our place within it. The experience reiterated to me a need for planning systems to move beyond viewing flora and fauna as isolated elements and towards genuinely understanding our role in a sophisticated, living system of storylines that define the health and history of Country.
Sharing this journey with fellow attendees provided another vital layer of connection. Our collective reflections, supported by the Mawambul team, proved that I am not walking this path alone. I left with a renewed fire of curiosity and a commitment to allyship. Most importantly, the day shifted my perspective from seeing this through the lens of rights and entitlements to one of deep, reciprocal responsibility - one I am now determined to live every day."
Amanda
Way Planning and Advisory
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