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Jessie King: Empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students

Jessie King and Doug Taylor in podcast promotion banner

The Closing the Gap targets ... it gets overwhelming for people and creates a deficit mindset. We need to simplify the approach to what we can control ... What’s most important are the kids in front of you right now and how you're responding to them, how you’re making them feel heard and seen and safe and [giving them a sense of] belonging.

Jesse King, educator, policy leader and advocate

Every child deserves the chance to thrive at school. But Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students are more likely to start school behind, need extra support to meet literacy and numeracy benchmarks, and are less likely to finish Year 12 — limiting their future opportunities and life choices.

Jesse King, a descendant of the Waanyi people, has spent his life in and around classrooms - first as the child of a teacher, then as one himself. Today, he’s a policy leader and advocate, spearheading change as the Aurora Education Foundation’s Head of Impact and Data and as a member of our own Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander National Advisory Group.

In this conversation with our CEO, Doug Taylor, Jesse shares what redefining success in education means for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. He explains why, in the face of big systemic challenges, we need to focus on what we can control. And he speaks about the importance of valuing differences and ensuring every student feels heard, seen and safe.

Then expanding on these issues, Jesse dives into how bringing Indigenous Knowledge into STEM can inspire learning and equip the next generation to tackle major global challenges in the decades ahead.

Conversation highlights

Jesse talks to Doug about:

[1:59] His most memorable education moment
[3:26] Closing the Gap and focusing on what we can control
[6:27] Valuing differences and adapting teaching to every student
[9:44] Lessons from helping 100+ young Indigenous people attend top international universities
[11:51] The Aurora Education Foundation's holistic approach to helping students thrive
[14:51] Bringing Indigenous Knowledges into STEM and why it can benefit everyone
17:50] Why educational equity drives his career

Watch the full conversation below via YouTube or listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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