Community relations has been identified as a core need for a vital and functioning Centre for Indigenous Studies. Collaborative partnerships are the key to regional sustainability in education delivery and the valuing of Indigenous Knowledge and culture within the Kimberley region. To this end Notre Dame has engaged a full-time Indigenous Community Liason Officer within the Centre for Indigenous Studies, Joe Edgar. While based in Broome, Joe Edgar will liaise with communities and community organisations across the Kimberley and across the three campuses of Notre Dame to ensure community engagement remains the core function of the Centre for Indigenous Studies.

Community relations encompasses

•  engaging with communities in the Kimberley to support current and future Indigenous and regional students of the Broome Campus.

•  participating in the design and delivery of cultural awareness packages for community, business and government agencies.

•  facilitating and participating in research projects from the ground up to ensure appropriate Indigenous and community concerns and protocols are addressed.

•  responding to community feedback with information and support across the areas of education and research.

•  engaging with and creating media resources to inform the regional and wider community of events, opportunities and programs on offer at Notre Dame's Broome campus.

•  providing guidance to The University of Notre Dame Australia on issues of relevance to Indigenous and regional communities throughout the Kimberley region.

The Centre for Indigenous Studies has developed a Cultural Awareness Package to inform individuals, independent organisations, business communities, local, state and federal agencies within the Kimberley region on issues of relevance to Indigenous communities.

The Cultural Awareness Package has been developed through a number of trials and is being delivered by Indigenous educators, community workers and leaders. It is designed to ensure appropriate, contemporary and relevant issues are addressed in a manner which will aid in the better delivery of services, provision of employment and instigation of economic, cultural and ecological services for Indigenous and other peoples of the Kimberley region.

The Cultural Awareness Package is delivered in a number of modules with one, two and three day options. Each package is negotiated to meet the needs of the organisations involved as well as the Indigenous employees, clients and constituents they are responsible to and engaged with. The program involves community visits and takes a case-study and problem solving approach within a culturally appropriate framework with regional Indigenous input.

The Cultural Awareness Package will be delivered to a number of groups in 2008, and will be available for wider delivery in February, 2009.