Bringing Country to the Classroom: A Cultural School Day with Uncle Ken Jones

When Uncle Ken Jones steps into a school, he brings more than knowledge; he brings presence, story, and connection to Boandik Country. As a cultural educator, Ken designs each visit with care, ensuring that students experience genuine, grounded engagement with First Nations culture, spirituality, and environmental awareness.

Whether speaking to Year 4 Aboriginal students or facilitating complex conversations with Year 11 students about spirituality and Country, Uncle Ken tailors each interaction to the group’s needs, backgrounds, and questions.His influence turns a regular school day into something transformative offering students the chance to listen, reflect, and participate in cultural learning that’s deeply tied to the land they live on.

In a recent full-day school visit, Uncle Ken was hosted by a regional school for a structured cultural immersion. The day was tailored to various student groups across different year levels, balancing formal lessons with personal yarning time. Here’s how the schedule unfolded:

• Lesson 1: Year 11 Religion — Exploring themes of spirituality and Caring for Country

• Lesson 2: Yarning with Year 6 Aboriginal students in the library

• Lesson 3: Yarning with Years 4 and 5 Aboriginal students, including hands-on cultural items related to hunting, fishing, animals, and tools

• Lesson 4 & 5: Return to Year 11 Religion — students presented their own research on native plant use and reserve restoration

• Lunch: Shared meal with staff and students

• Lesson 6: Yarning with Year 7–10 Aboriginal students

• Lesson 7: Final session with a second Year 11 Religion class, covering Boandik stories, spirituality, and tradition

Cultural school visits like these are more than one-off events they’re part of a broader movement to embed First Nations perspectives into everyday learning. By sharing stories, artefacts, and conversation, Uncle Ken gives students a chance to see Aboriginal culture as living, evolving, and deeply relevant.

Importantly, the day was inclusive and adaptive. Small group yarning circles created safe spaces for Aboriginal students, while larger classes explored complex cultural themes in ways that felt both personal and participatory.

As always, Uncle Ken’s strength lies in his storytelling but it’s the quiet yarning, the shared laughter, and the gentle guiding questions that make the biggest difference in a student’s learning journey.

Want to organise a school visit?

Contact Ken Jones - info@bushrepair.com.au