Language program nominated for award
The Miriwoong Language Nest program has been nominated as a finalist in the WA Regional Achievement and Community Awards.
The awards pay tribute to individuals, communities, businesses and groups that make contributions to regional and rural areas.
Run from the Mirima Dawang Woorlab-gerring Language and Culture Centre, the Language Nest teaches about 200 children traditional Miriwoong language and culture each week.
Language Nest facilitator Stephanie Woerde said the team was honoured to have been nominated.
"The Miriwoong Language Nest team formally launched its Language Nest initiative in March this year and have continued to see the program grow from strength to strength," she said.
"It is positively working to not only revitalise Kununurra's critically endangered Miriwoong language, but also to instil an important sense of self-esteem, inter- cultural awareness, empathy and respect among all children involved."
Ms Woerde said the program had been delivered to indigenous and non-indigenous children at the Pindan Centre, CSSU's Kununurra Early Learning Centre, Save the Children's mobile play scheme and the early years at Kununurra District High School and St Joseph's Catholic Primary School.
She said the immersion-based native language education program aimed to teach more speakers of the language now spoken fluently by fewer than 20 people.
Team members will attend the presentation dinner in Perth on November 14.
