Koorie Education 

& Engagement

Willum Warrain Koorie Youth Summit

- Written by Emma, Gunaikurnai, Year 12

On Friday the 28th of March, most of the EMC Koorie students attended the 2025 Koorie Youth Summit at the Hastings local gathering place Willum Warrain. At the 2025 Koorie Youth Summit we were welcomed with a smoking ceremony, followed by a dance workshop run by an organisation called Indigenous Outreach Projects, with a dance group called iophiphop, a diverse group of dancers from all different cultures and backgrounds teaching us about their journeys and cultures through the art of dance. 

We all participated in the dance workshop, dancing and sharing our culture through dance.  We were rewarded with expressing ourselves through cultural dances, and leading the younger Koorie students to participate in the workshop and teaching them cultural dances we have learnt. 

We then did another activity where we all collaborated to make a rock sculpture of our creator Bunjil, the wedge tailed eagle, after creating the sculpture we all took pictures with the sculpture, getting to take in the piece of art we all worked together to create. 

Our final activity of the day was yarning circles where Dakota and I were encouraged to be leaders of our group.  We yarned with other kids from outside of our school about our experiences throughout the day and the importance of sharing our culture with other Koorie kids, and being lifted up to be leaders for younger kids who are less knowledgeable when it comes to culture. Overall our day was very rewarding stepping up and becoming leaders, getting to experience culture with the other Koorie kids and being able to learn from Elders, expanding our cultural knowledge.