Engaging parents, engaging communities, engaging schools: the parent engagement project

The PACE project was conducted at two government primary schools in the Darwin and Palmerston regions by The Smith Family. This project was an innovative approach to a contemporary educational issue concerning Indigenous parent participation in education. The approach encouraged the development of positive relationships between Indigenous parents and school staff by increasing Indigenous parents’ capacity to interact within the school context. This project was a pilot study that identified and explored the principles and relationships that are embedded within The Smith Family approach. The research was conducted using ethnographic techniques of observation and interviews, and using digital storytelling to generate data across two school communities, targeting community participants, school staff and The Smith Family project staff. Led by Dr Nicoli Barnes, the project included researchers from the IGCE and The Smith Family.