The Learning Circle provides a safe place to be heard and to respond. It is a place to talk, share, discuss, educate and have a yarn together, a place to build respectful relationships and a space to enrich students’ learning experiences.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been using yarning circles for thousands of years. Yarning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was, and still is, a conversational process that involves the telling of stories as a way of passing on cultural knowledge. These circles provide a safe place for all to speak without judgement. The conversations within a yarning circle have always focused on strengths and not problem solving and criticisms. It is a collaborative way to communicate and provides a respectful place to be heard and to respond. Today, they are used as a meeting place for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Aboriginal communities to come together.

Creating a yarning circle at Dorchester ETU represents our commitment to supporting and sharing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and acknowledges the connection between the University and Darkinung Country. The place is a significant and accessible meeting space for visiting local Aboriginal people and the larger Reiby community.