About us

We are dedicated to elevating the voices of Indigenous families and communities, working to ensure educators and service providers listen and respond. Our goal is to provide children in remote and very remote areas with an education that prepares them for future success and independence.

How we started

Founded in 2000 by Bjorn Christie-Johnston and Terry O’Connell OAM, RIPA emerged from a collaboration aimed at involving Indigenous parents and families more in their children's education. Bjorn, working at a Darwin boarding school for Indigenous students, noticed the lack of parental involvement and, together with Terry, spent over a decade addressing this issue.

With Australian Government support in 2011, they launched RIPA and initiated pilot projects to fine-tune its approach. Officially recognized in 2017, RIPA now stands as an independent, national organization dedicated to amplifying the voices of remote Indigenous communities in their children’s education and well-being.

 
 

Our Practice Framework

Building on the foundation laid by Bjorn and Terry, RIPA developed its signature approach to fostering dialogue among Indigenous families, communities, schools, and boarding services. This effort led to the creation of the RIPA Relational Principles of Engagement (RIPA-RPE©) framework, aimed at empowering Indigenous voices in education. This framework offers tools and resources to promote meaningful conversations and ensure Indigenous parents can effectively communicate their expectations and aspirations for their children's schooling and well-being.

The framework champions a strengths-based strategy to improve educational outcomes by fostering respectful and productive relationships among all stakeholders. It also creates a supportive space for Indigenous families to articulate their hopes and concerns for their children's education.

Initial pilot projects with Tiwi College and in Roper Gulf, Northern Territory, tested RIPA's approach to community engagement and relationship building. Following these successes, in 2021, RIPA received further funding to expand its services nationwide. This includes developing a business plan, building community partnerships, enhancing communication with remote Indigenous communities, and collaborating with Charles Darwin University to promote RIPA’s practices through national training courses.

The things that drive us

  • RIPA's RPE framework champions the principles of equality, dignity, and the potential for everyone to thrive. It fosters healthy, respectful relationships that bridge students, adults, and peers, emphasizing the importance of mutual respect and understanding.

    By focusing on the strengths of remote Indigenous communities, RIPA encourages meaningful involvement and enhances the engagement of Indigenous students, parents, families, and communities in education.

  • RIPA strives to strengthen the confidence and capacity of Indigenous parents and families in remote and very remote Indigenous communities to engage in their children’s education and equip them to be successful and confident learners. RIPA wants remote and very remote Indigenous communities to flourish by enabling children and young people to benefit from a quality school education that sets them on a path to future prosperity and independent living.

  • To empower Indigenous parents, family and community members to have an authentic voice, so they can actively support their children’s and young people’s participation and learning at school in remote and very remote communities. We will achieve this by building quality relationships as the foundation driver of Indigenous-led change.

    • We believe Indigenous people know what matters to them, their families, children and community.

    • We defend Indigenous people’s experiences, knowledge and understanding of what does and doesn’t work. 

    • We uphold the rights of Indigenous people to inform government services and decision-makers on what needs to be done to improve their lives.

    • We are passionate about the importance of culture for connecting Indigenous people with their country and building respectful and reciprocal relationships.

 

Reports and governance