Some school spaces do more than support learning—they create opportunities for listening, reflection, connection and belonging. A Yarning Circle is one of those spaces.
Designed for schools across Naarm and the wider Kulin Nation region, Meanjin, Tarntanya, our Yarning Circles provide a purposeful outdoor setting for storytelling, respectful conversation, collaborative learning and connection to Country. They offer students and teachers a calm alternative to the conventional classroom: a place to gather, share perspectives and learn together.
A Yarning Circle should be shaped by the school community and developed with cultural guidance from the relevant Traditional Owners, local Aboriginal community members and First Nations educators. This helps ensure the space reflects the Country on which the school stands, is culturally respectful and supports genuine ongoing learning—not a one-off symbolic installation.
For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, a thoughtfully developed Yarning Circle can contribute to a stronger sense of visibility, connection and belonging. For all students, it can support respectful learning about First Nations histories, cultures and ways of sharing knowledge.
Yarning Circles can support
- Listening, speaking and respectful discussion
- Storytelling, reflection and student voice
- Collaborative and cross-curricular outdoor learning
- Connection to Country and place-based learning
- Inclusion, empathy, trust and community connection
- Reconciliation activities developed with appropriate cultural guidance
Standard Yarning Circle includes
- Inner Circle Wattle Circle Round Platform
- Eight medium recycled-rubber rocks or sandstone logs
- Four S Line Series Curved Benches
- Assortment of Australian animal shapes in recycled rubber
- Reconciliation poles
A Yarning Circle is an investment in a more connected school environment. We can work with your school, community representatives and project partners to create a practical, welcoming space that respects Country and supports learning every day.