FAQs
Questions?
Get in touch
Please contact us if you have any questions/comments or would be interested in a project briefing. Contact us »
On this page, you will find a series of frequently asked questions about the project.
If your question is not answered here, please contact us.
- What is Asia literacy?
- What is the Asia Literacy Ambassadors – Partnering Businesses & Schools project?
- What is the rationale behind the project?
- Does the project focus on a particular language or culture?
- How does the project define influences from the Asian region?
- How is Asia literacy being supported by Australian business?
- Who can become an Asia Literacy Ambassador?
- What is the time commitment required?
- What do the Ambassadors do?
- What are the benefits for businesses that take part in the project?
- What do Key School Contacts do?
- What are the benefits for schools taking part in the project?
- How do Ambassadors and schools go about planning a partnership?
- How are Ambassadors matched to schools?
- How is the project supported?
- How can I find out more and register my interest?
What is Asia literacy?
In December 2008, the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs declared that due to major changes in the world, 'Australians need to become Asia literate, engaging and building strong relationships with Asia'. Asia literacy is knowledge, skills and understandings about the histories, geographies, societies, cultures, literature and languages of the diverse countries that make up our region. It is a core part of a 21st century Australian curriculum and assists young Australians to make sense of the part of the world in which they live.
Asia literacy is integral to the achievement of educational goals including personal futures, interpersonal development, social responsibility, cultural sensitivity, building communities, local and global futures, intercultural understanding, moral and ethical integrity, spiritual and aesthetic development and the skills of communicating, creating, thinking and innovating.
What is the Asia Literacy Ambassadors – Partnering Businesses & Schools project?
The Asia Literacy Ambassadors – Partnering Businesses & Schools project is establishing and supporting partnerships between businesses and school communities to stimulate and increase student and school community demand for Asia literacy. Skilled professionals (Asia Literacy Ambassadors) are being matched to secondary schools across Australia. By sharing their own story, Ambassadors are assisting school communities to better understand the diverse career and life opportunities available to employees who are knowledgeable about Asia and who have the skills and dispositions needed to effectively engage with the people and cultures of Asia, off-shore and domestically.
What is the rationale behind the project?
The imperative for Australian students to become Asia literate has never been greater. Employment and lifestyle opportunities for Australians are increasingly influenced by the economies and societies of the Asian region, while immigrants from Asia play an active role in communities across Australia. Students leaving school with knowledge and understandings about Asia and strong intercultural skills will be best placed to maximise these opportunities.
Does the project focus on a particular language or culture?
While the project focuses predominantly on the languages and knowledge of Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese and South Korean cultures, histories, geographies and societies, consultation with educators and businesses has indicated that the Asia experience and engagement of business and schools is much broader than these four countries.
In the event that a project partner expresses an interest in another Asian country/culture, the AEF may broaden the project’s focus to include India and the ASEAN bloc countries, namely Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.
How does the project define influences from the Asian region?
Influences from the Asian region in Australia have generally been prominent, although often unacknowledged. For the purposes of the project, influences are defined as determining factors that affect an individual or group’s tendencies and characteristics. Influences from the Asian region include art, cuisine, family history, religion, values and beliefs, language, travel, sport, politics, trade, media and more.
How is Asia literacy being supported by Australian business?
Businesses across Australia have made an explicit commitment to supporting the development of Asia literacy in schools. The Business Alliance for Asia Literacy (BAAL) is made up of major corporations, peak bodies (including the Australian Council for Trade Unions and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Australian Industry Group and the Business Council of Australia) who represent over 400,000 Australian businesses. These representatives of leading Australian businesses and industry organisations have called on school communities, education systems and governments to ensure that Asia skills and Asian languages are a core part of the Australian curriculum. View a list of the members of the BAAL.
Who can become an Asia Literacy Ambassador?
An Ambassador is anyone who can demonstrate the practical knowledge, skills and understandings required to work with and/or in Asia and with Asian-Australian communities, or who has been influenced by the Asian region in their life and work. Ambassadors volunteer their time to link with local school communities and act as role models, investing their expertise in the next generation of the Australian workforce.
What is the time commitment required?
Ideally, partnering Ambassadors and schools will participate in at least three face-to-face interactions in the school, workplace or other contexts with students, school leaders, teachers, career practitioners and school councils over a six-to-eight month period. That said, the number of interactions and when they occur will depend very much on the availability and goals of the Ambassador and school. Interactions can take many forms - for example, an interaction could be a student visit to the Ambassador's workplace, a presentation to a student group, dialogue with leadership teams, career practitioners, teachers and school councils, etc. Project participants have flexibility to establish a partnership that best suits the specific interests, expertise and availability of the Ambassador and the needs of the school community.
What do the Ambassadors do?
The Ambassador's role is to share their own story and experience of engagement with Asia and/ or Asian-Australian communities, to inspire young people and help them see the career and life opportunities that come with being Asia literate. Ambassadors are matched with a secondary school and work with a Key School Contact to develop a Partnership Plan. The planned activities may involve student visits to the Ambassador’s workplace, presentations to student groups, dialogue with leadership teams, career practitioners, teachers and school councils, or mentoring students involved in career planning and decision making.
What are the benefits for businesses that take part in the project?
By encouraging staff to become Ambassadors, organisations enable employees to feel positive about helping young people. Organisations benefit through the additional skills their employees develop and the opportunity to increase their profile in the community. Specifically, this project brings opportunities to:
- share expertise, work and life experiences with Australian secondary school students and communities;
- mentor students and influence their career prospects and aspirations;
- increase the links between businesses and local school communities;
- contribute to an Australian workforce that is well-equipped to maximise the positive work and life opportunities that the Asian region and Asian-Australian communities offer;
- raise the profile of businesses/career paths with young Australians;
- connect with and identify young talent; and
- network with members of the Business Alliance for Asia Literacy.
What do Key School Contacts do?
The role of the Key School Contact is to welcome an Asia Literacy Ambassador into the school community and collaborate with them to plan activities that highlight the career and life benefits of being Asia literate. Key School Contacts work with their Ambassador to develop a Partnership Plan and need to provide the necessary hardware, software and resources required to execute partnership activities that build Asia literacy.
What are the benefits for schools taking part in the project?
Schools benefit enormously from the relationship with their Ambassador and business. The benefits of being involved in the project for schools include:
- opportunity for students to better understand how being Asia literate can influence their career prospects and lifestyle aspirations;
- support for targeted teaching and learning in a range of curriculum areas that build students’ Asia literacy;
- mentoring partnerships between Ambassadors and students and staff;
- exposure of school communities to high-calibre role models from the business community;
- establishment of links between schools and local businesses; and
- raising the profile of the school within the local business community, state/territory and nationally.
How do Ambassadors and schools go about planning a partnership?
Ambassadors and schools work together to determine the type of partnership that best suits their specific interests, areas of expertise, availability and needs. A suite of online resources for inspiration and new and exciting partnership activity ideas is available on this website.
How are Ambassadors matched to schools?
The process undertaken to match Ambassadors to schools is directly related to the information provided in the online Expression of Interest forms about location, Asian languages spoken, existing connections with the Asian region and/or Asian-Australian communities, and aspirations for the project. This information is gathered from both potential Ambassadors and interested schools. It is also possible to request a certain Ambassador and organisation, or a particular school.
How is the project supported?
The AEF has developed materials to ensure each partnership is appropriately supported. Should any questions or concerns arise, schools and Ambassadors are encouraged to contact the AEF.
The AEF also liaises directly with Ambassadors and Key School Contacts over the course of the partnership to find out how they are progressing and offer any assistance that may be required. The AEF’s contact details are as follows:
- Julia Madden, Senior Project Officer (email or phone 03 8344 3582)
How can I find out more and register my interest?
The best place to find out more about the project is here on the project website, where you can find background information, support materials and resources.
Go to Expression of Interest – Schools or Expression of Interest – Ambassadors and complete the online form. It only takes 5 minutes! Approximately two-to-four weeks after submitting your Partnership Plan, the AEF will contact you to see how you’re going with your partnership and to respond to any questions or concerns you have at that time.
