Wingaru Education

Lesley Woodhouse is a Darug woman from the Boorooberongal clan and the CEO of Wingaru Aboriginal Education.

Wingaru emerged through Lesley’s passion to provide quality education about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and experiences for all students. “I worked in government for many years and noticed that initiatives did not include any education for non-Aboriginal people. While Aboriginal people are excelling, we still face daily barriers because non-Aboriginal people don't understand our communities or have a biased view because they have not had the opportunity to learn about our communities, culture or issues we face. If kids gain this knowledge at school we reduce the barriers and ultimately improve the effectiveness of programs designed to support mob. Teachers are trying to bring more perspectives in but need support, which Wingaru provides through teacher professional learning as well as resources for the classroom.“ Lesley shared. 

For Lesley, owning her own business as a First Nations person allows her to achieve her goals of improving Aboriginal education while balancing her home life. “Having a business means I get to set direction and really focus on targeting change in a strong way. It has meant that we can deliver a true Aboriginal voice which is important to me. There is a lot more work owning a business than having a job but there are lots of benefits - I am also a mum and being the boss means I can structure work around my family.”

Being a part of Welcome to Country has given Lesley the opportunity to expand her audience. Lesley shared, “Having our home education resource on Welcome to Country Marketplace has been a key part of delivering the resources to a wider audience.”