Aims and Approach

The Schools Program

Jewish Christian Muslim Association of Australia (JCMA) delivers education programs for primary and secondary students and professional development for teachers in Victoria.  The schools program established in 2007 promotes awareness and understanding of different faiths and cultures. As a registered harm prevention charity JCMA aims to positively counter racism and discrimination and promote diversity, equity and inclusion.

Programs include:

  • Intercultural Understanding workshops for primary & secondary students – with a Jewish, Christian and Muslim presenter. For more information see below.
  • Professional Development for teachers, principals, staff a range of topics to promote intercultural understanding and awareness including; unconscious bias, stereotyping and prejudice, diversity, equity and inclusion in schools. For more information click here: Teacher PD
  • Intercultural Understanding Partnership Program (ICUP) a partnership with Together For Humanity in NSW & QLD and the Abraham Institute in SA. JCMA are working with four schools on school wide initiatives that promote and embed intercultural awareness and understanding in the school strategic plan and across the school community. For more information click here: ICUP Program

Intercultural Understanding Workshops

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JCMA prepares and provides an Education Program for both primary and secondary students in both government and non-government schools. This program aims to positively counter stereotypes and race-based or religious discrimination and eliminate hatred, vilification andmisunderstanding by:

  • providing concrete experiential learning for students through their meeting face to face simultaneously with a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim; this approach does not advocate the adoption of any faith
  • providing ongoing diversity education and cultural transformation in the schools
  • partnering with the wider community via local multifaith networks leading to a raised awareness of the program, the breaking down of barriers and a combined community promotion of positive behaviours instead of hatred, vilification and misunderstanding
  • working with similar education programs to collaborate, share resources and training, and provide a broader base from which to build community resilience and bridges of understanding and respect, fostering open communication and engagement across communities

The JCMA schools workshops are a key component of JCMA’s principal activities encouraging participation in education programs that contribute towards targeting racism and abusive behaviour and preventing its harmful emotional effects. Download a brochure here JCMA Intercultural Understanding Workshops

Aims

Teams of three presenters, a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim, visit schools across Melbourne and regional Victoria with the following aims:

  • To introduce a Jew, a Christian and a Muslim who live in Australia to the students, and to show the three panellists interacting respectfully and harmoniously
  • To educate many more students to be more accepting of others and feel more empathy toward people who are different to themselves.
  • To decrease the willingness of children and members of the community to be involved in or to condone hateful speech, prejudiced judgements and behaviours.
  • To increase understanding of similarities and to encourage respect for difference and diversity amongst staff, students and parents.

JCMA Schools Workshops

JCMA offers a wide range of workshops, relevant to any school or age group and professional development workshops for teachers.  For more information call Ulla on 0400 211 221 or email: schoolscoordinator@jcma.org.au or see our range of workshops here

JCMA Child Safe Policies

JCMA aims to provide children and young people with a positive and enriching environment that promotes their safety and wellbeing. As part of this commitment, we have developed a Child Safety Code of Conduct for our organisation and have policies that guides our staff and volunteers on how to behave with children in our organisation. All of our staff and presenters must agree to abide by our code of conduct which specifies the standards of conduct required when working with children. See the JCMA Statement of Commitment for Child Safety below.

JCMA Statement Of Commitment To Child Safety

JCMA are committed to the safety and well being of all children and young people, aboriginal and those from culturally and/or linguistically diverse backgrounds and children living with a disability.

JCMA have specific policies, procedures and training in place that support our leadership team, staff and volunteers to achieve these commitments. All allegations and safety concerns will be treated very seriously and consistently in line with our child safety policies and procedures.

We have screening procedures and recruitment practices for all our leaders, staff and volunteers and we are committed to regular training and education of our staff and volunteers on child abuse risks.

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