Understanding 'Funds of Knowledge': Utilising Children’s Lived Experience to Create Dynamic OSHC Programs (2-part series)

Join Catharine Hydon to explore Funds of Knowledge and how children and families’ lived experiences can inform meaningful OSHC program design. This workshop focuses on embedding Funds of Knowledge into daily practice to support inclusion, agency, and belonging.

Session 1

What are funds of knowledge and how do educators access them?

This session introduces the concept of Funds of Knowledge, a new and powerful concept in the updated MTOP V2.0, that invites educators to respectfully identify children’s and families lived experiences as key informants in the design of effective OSHC programs. Participants will learn how this process aligns with the principles of MTOP and supports inclusive, culturally responsive practice in OSHC settings.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Defining Funds of Knowledge in the context of MTOP v2.0
  • Strategies for respectfully accessing children’s Funds of Knowledge through family partnerships, observation, and documentation.
  • Linking Funds of Knowledge to principles or MTOP and the vision of children’s belonging, being, and becoming.
  • Reflecting on how valuing children’s home experiences enhances inclusion and diversity in OSHC programs.

 

Learning Outcomes:

  • Understand the concept of Funds of Knowledge and its relevance to early childhood education.
  • Identify practical strategies for uncovering children’s Funds of Knowledge.
  • Connect Funds of Knowledge to EYLF v2 principles and outcomes.
  • Reflect on the impact of children’s lived experiences on program planning.

 

 

Session 2

How can children’s funds of knowledge shape the OSHC program?

Building on the first session, this workshop focuses on practical approaches for respectfully accessing and integrating children’s Funds of Knowledge into OSHC program planning and delivery. participants will explore case studies generated from their own context and collaborative strategies to co-design learning experiences that reflect children’s backgrounds and strengths.

Key Focus Areas:

  • Embedding Funds of Knowledge into daily OSHC practice.
  • Program planning that reflects children’s unique experiences and cultural identities.
  • Using MTOP V2.0 outcomes to guide program decisions and foster children’s agency.
  • Sharing examples of successful Funds of Knowledge integration in OSHC settings.

 

Learning Outcomes:

  • Examine methods for embedding Funds of Knowledge into OSHC practice.
  • Develop program plans that reflect children’s lived experiences.
  • Use MTOP V2.0 outcomes to guide curriculum and foster agency.
  • Share and reflect on examples of Funds of Knowledge integration.
    • $250

    • Date

      Tue 16 June – Tue 30 June
      • Session 1 - What are funds of knowledge, and how do educators access them?
        16 June 2026
        10:00 AM – 11:30 AM
      • Session 2 - How can children’s funds of knowledge shape the OSHC program?
        30 June 2026
        10:00 AM – 11:30 AM

    • Location

      Online via Zoom

    • Presented by

      • Catharine Hydon
    Register

About the presenters

  • Bio Image-1
    Catharine Hydon

    Catharine Hydon is an early childhood consultant with over 30 years’ experience, with a focus on supporting professionals to explore the relationship between theory and practice. As Principal Consultant and Director of Hydon Consulting, she partners with educators and leaders across Australia in a a collective effort to create meaning, define quality, and engage in the art of transformational change. Central to her work is the cultivation of professional dialogue that embraces diversity and invites deep reflection. Informed by a Masters in early childhood education, specialising in innovative practice and governance, Catharine is driven by the need for principled approaches to education and leadership, especially in complex times. She brings stories of practice to the intersections of theory, fostering co-design and capacity sharing.