Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests

Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests are an initiative of OCHRE, the NSW Government’s community-focused plan for Aboriginal affairs. 

The establishment of the Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests enables Aboriginal people and communities across NSW to reclaim, revitalise and maintain their traditional Aboriginal languages.

Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests provide a continuous learning pathway for Aboriginal people while recognising the existing language skills and knowledge of Aboriginal community members.

The Aboriginal Language and Culture Nests operate within participating schools to provide Aboriginal students and their families with a continuous pathway of learning, from preschool to Year 12 and into tertiary education (TAFE and universities) and to offer Aboriginal students a new opportunity to consider language teaching as a vocation.

An Aboriginal Language and Culture Nest is a local network of communities, bound together by their connection to an Aboriginal language.

The Board of Studies Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES) now the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) is delivering Language Nest resources to support NSW schools in providing learning pathways. The Aboriginal Language and Culture Nest initiative leadership is jointly delivered by the NSW Department of Education and the Aboriginal Educational Consultative Group (AECG), which is the peak advisory group on Aboriginal education in NSW.