Kylie's Keen About... Playwork in Aus

Edit: Thank you so much to every single person that has made this possible. Tomorrow I head off on the adventure of a lifetime. I am completely overwhelmed by the support of colleagues, family and friends and promise to make each and every moment count!! From the bottom of my heart THANK YOU!!

Hi, my name is Kylie and I am hoping you will help me to raise funds to embark on a self-organised study tour in June 2023 throughout the UK on all things play and Playwork.

I have been part of the Outside School Hours Sector in Australia since I was a child and it has become my career and my passion. I have been committed to Playwork in Australia for about 8 years and pour myself and all I have, into advocacy, networking, and creating opportunities for others to learn and be part of this Playwork Community. Previous overseas study tours, as well as ones here in Australia, have played an instrumental part in the current Playwork Revolution.

The study tour will take me away from home for a month and the prices since the last time I was lucky enough to be on a study tour, have more than doubled. Being a low-income earner in the Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) sector, a single-income household with current mortgage rate rises and the prices of travel and accommodation increasing I am not able to make this happen alone.

Those that know me, will no doubt be aware that I usually see less than half that already low wage due to my unwell 4-legged best friend, Sprout, whose medical bills continue to make it impossible to save. A month is also a long time to be away from my little shadow and as such the costs of a trip like this increase further to ensure I can have someone care for him, as a kennel with his needs, is not an option.

The aim of this Go Fund Me is that not only will friends and family get behind the campaign, but also the ECEC Sector. The study tour will help to further raise the profile of Playwork as a quality approach to ECEC in Australia both here and internationally, as well as further support the Australian Playwork Community.

I have previously been on study tours in the UK and the US and with the help and generosity of people and places, many of whom have gone on to and continue to be mentors to me in this space, I was inspired by the knowledge learnt that gave me the foundations to take a Playwork approach in my work as an Educational Leader at Forrest Out Of School Hours Care in Canberra Australia.

Embedding this approach has largely contributed to the service receiving an Exceeding AND Excellence rating twice. This is a rare achievement for OSHC and has contributed greatly to the powers at be recognising Playwork not only as an acceptable way of working with children but indeed recognising and celebrating it as excellent quality practice.

My dedication and commitment to ECEC, in particular to OSHC, as well as Playwork has not remained within the four walls of the OSHC in which I work. I have worked with Malarkey Playwork on numerous events such as the National Play and Playwork Conference and OSHC Playwork Gatherings; I have taken on numerous volunteer roles within ACT for Early Childhood Australia as well as National Outside School Hours Services Alliance, and have tried to ensure that play and Playwork are given a voice wherever possible.

If you’re still unsure whether you should donate and are uncertain how this contribution will help you or Playwork within Australia, then please read on

It has always been a dream of mine to attend an International Play Association Conference, never did I imagine I’d one day be presenting at one. It is an honour and a privilege to be representing Australia at this worldwide event. I shall be delivering a presentation that is not just about sharing my own story, but more importantly, that of the Australian Playwork Community and how Playwork has come to be viewed as a quality approach to ECEC.

I will be presenting at the IPA Conference in Glasgow at the start of the tour and blogging about all the incredible projects, research, and people I meet along the way. Then I shall be visiting the Isle of Man and the incredible team from Lesters Yard. Anyone familiar with Playwork will no doubt know of and have deep respect for the name Stuart Lester. Yes indeed, Lesters Yard was named in honour of Stuart and celebrates his contribution to Playwork and was a place I had always hoped to see and never thought I would. As a playworker it was an honour to write a review of the book; ‘Stuff and Nonsense Thinking Differently About Children’s Play’, inspired by the work of Stuart Lester. I will also be visiting Gwealan Tops Adventure Playground as well as several other incredible projects and people involved in Playwork across the UK, all of which I will share reflections on through blogs and social media.

By contributing to this cause and, if interested adding your email address, I will add you to a list of people, who upon my return, will be invited to a one-time-only zoom. During this zoom, I will share insight into the places I’ve been, people I’ve met and where to from here.

I leave you all with a promise that by contributing to this trip, I will be able to further develop, help and upskill the Australian Playwork Community. It will help me to continue to ensure that Playwork is viewed, respected, and celebrated as a quality approach to Early Childhood Education and Care throughout Australia!