Hosted by the ACT Chapter, the morning started with an exploration of the significance of Canberra as a traditional indigenous meeting place and attendees heard about ANU’s journey to create a vibrant city hub that connects to Country, people, and place. Through contrasting insights from the National Museum of Australia we will then delved into the complex issue of designing inclusive learning environments that tell an authentic story of the land on which they stand.

The middle of the day was dedicated to exploring Canberra’s schools and Universities. We toured a range of sites, including ACT’s newest Junior School, newest Senior School, and the award-winning Birch Building at the Australian National University. These buildings showcased approaches to teaching and learning that embrace contemporary pedagogies and practice, and are underpinned by principles of wellbeing, inclusion, and community.

In an RDO first, our ‘double’ site visits then continued into the afternoon to explore our national institutions. Tours focused on the development of exhibitions by institutions as tools for learning, the physical learning spaces created within these well-known buildings, and the ways in which digital tools have enabled institutions to reach those that are not physically based in Canberra. While we of course were able to enjoy the what, we were equally interested in why and how our national institutions engage with learning.

Together with the ACT Chapter Committee, we welcomed you to Canberra and hoped your experience at the 2024 Regional Day Out opened your eyes to the amazing learning opportunities that lie in the fabric of all our cities.

Erik Innes (Chair) and Ella Masters (Past Chair)

The colour palette is a modern take on the livery colours of the City of Canberra. The blue used in the branding is to signify sky and the lake and the orange replaces the yellow of the livery colours and represents the state circle cutting that surrounds Parliament House and connects the Orche colour that is featured in first nations artworks and history. Orche comes from an old French term ‘oker’ meaning ‘pale yellow’, which connects back to the livery colours of Canberra.