The Five Big Ideas Program Evaluation: An Examination of the Process and Efficacy of an Early Intervention Program for Aboriginal Pre-school Children, from the Perspective of Key Stakeholders: Teachers and Program Developers

Gunawirra, a not-for-profit organisation based in Sydney, has designed an early intervention program, Five Big Ideas, which is aimed at supporting preschool Aboriginal children to grow as healthy, resilient and empowered individuals. The program is based on Reggio Emelia Philosophy and is consistent with Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) outcomes. It contains five modules: 'personal health and hygiene', 'nutrition', 'healing and resilience', 'my culture, my identity', and 'my land, our environment'. The Five Big Ideas program is taught by preschool staff through a mix of power point presentations, Aboriginal Dreamtime stories, puppets, games, videos, and class and parent-involved activities and is offered in preschools where there are a significant number of Aboriginal children in attendance. This report details an evaluation of the early intervention program, Five Big Ideas, conducted by researchers from the Centre for Health Research at Western Sydney University.