Helping young people understand allyship

May 19, 2026

Dr Summer May Finlay

Allyship lead image - 3 women from varied cultural backgrounds smiling gently to the camera.

L-R: Laura Thompson (Gunditjmara), CEO Co-Founder of Clothing the Gaps; Dr Manisha Amin, CEO Inclusive Design Collective & CEO, Public Education Foundation; and Shelley Ware (Yankunytjatjara, Kokatha & Wirangu) Educator & Media Personality.

“What matters is not what you know right now, but how you approach what you don’t.”
Dr Summer May Finlay (Yorta Yorta woman and educator)

A practical guide for teachers, parents and carers

5-minute read

Teaching is a hard gig. You are expected by students, and often parents, to be a fountain of knowledge on all things. Something that in reality isn’t possible when your work extends well beyond the school day and school term, leaving you with little time to upskill.

Often, your decisions about where to invest your limited time aren’t just based on what you know is important for your students, but on how comfortable you feel stepping into areas where you recognise gaps in your own knowledge.

For many non-Indigenous people in Australia, including teachers, meaningful engagement with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people, perspectives and knowledge sits outside their everyday experience. Yet the curriculum also requires teachers to thoughtfully and authentically include Indigenous perspectives in their classrooms. For many, that disconnect can feel overwhelming, and you may not know where to start.

As an Aboriginal woman, a mother of two, and a teacher myself in the tertiary education sector, I want to reframe how we think about this work. The goal is not perfection, and it is not about being the expert on all things Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. It is about building confidence, understanding and a willingness among young people to keep learning.

I am still learning – every day – about our histories, our communities, and what it means to be Aboriginal. That learning changes and grows over time. So let me reassure you: you are not expected to be a ‘fountain of all knowledge’.

What matters is not what you know right now, but how you approach what you don’t. And similarly, how you support your students to understand what they don’t know and how to fill that gap.

What is allyship?

So, what is allyship? Allyship is not a label you give yourself. It is not something you claim. It is something others recognise through your actions. And importantly, it is not fixed – it develops over time. Allyship for a six-year-old is very different from allyship for a secondary student or adult. Teachers, parents and carers guide this development. So, what can you do as a teacher?

First, be kind to yourself when a student asks you something you don’t know. No one, not even me as an Aboriginal woman, has all the answers about allyship. You can say, ‘let’s find out together.’ This approach models that it’s okay not to have all the answers, and gives you an opportunity to show students how to find reliable ones.

Starting with awareness

For younger students, allyship begins with the foundations of kindness, fairness and respect.

Teachers can help students see that people differ in culture, family, language and lived experience – and those differences can enrich our relationships and everyday interactions with others, as well as our sense of self.

It’s important to challenge assumptions gently. Many young students have ideas, often unspoken, about what people ‘look like’ or who belongs to what group. You cannot tell someone’s identity or story from appearance. This is a critical starting point.

Encourage curiosity, don’t shut it down. Children will ask questions, sometimes awkwardly. These moments are opportunities. Teachers can model how to express curiosity respectfully, listen carefully and respond thoughtfully.

Allyship begins with everyday interactions, not grand gestures.

Building understanding

As students grow, their thinking extends beyond their own experience. They begin to question, reflect, and consider where others fit in the world around them.

At this stage, allyship can shift from recognising differences to understanding their significance. Engage students with a variety of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander-authored books or videos. Encourage them to really listen, rather than assume or speak for others.

This is when conversations about stereotypes and language become essential. Students need to understand that the language they choose to use can either reinforce or challenge harmful assumptions.

Students can ask: Whose voices are being heard? Whose perspectives are missing? Why? Encourage respectful questions and remind students that feeling uncomfortable is normal – it’s often a sign that real learning is happening.

This applies to teachers too. You may feel uncomfortable about what you are learning, and that’s okay.

Use that discomfort as a prompt to keep going, rather than a reason to pull back. Seeking out Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander voices – authors, artists, educators and leaders – brings authenticity and depth; this is a good place to start.

When you create the space for students to ask questions and seek their own answers, that’s where understanding truly grows.

What allyship looks like in practice

As students develop confidence and understanding, allyship becomes action – and that action is strongest when it’s grounded in understanding of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander histories and Cultures.

Encourage students by creating a safe environment for them to speak up for fairness in respectful ways. This might include challenging misconceptions and supporting peers.

Speaking up is often a small act, but those small acts shape classroom culture. As students grow, so does their responsibility, meaning action can extend further – a student reconciliation group, a cultural event, advocating for First Nations voices in the school library, or helping to organise events like NAIDOC Week.

Action can also be visible. Displaying the Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander flags at your school, for example, sends a clear message – but only when it’s backed by genuine understanding and action, not as a gesture in isolation.

As a teacher, I know I am not the only source of knowledge. This matters most with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students present. I always create space for them to share their experiences, culture or perspectives if they feel comfortable. First Nations peoples are not a single voice, and that diversity of experience is something every teacher should lean into.

Connecting to community

As students develop a sense of place, allyship can be grounded in community.

This means learning about the local Country, language and history, including the impacts of colonisation, and building awareness of local First Nations organisations, voices and perspectives – all of which reflect cultures that are living and present.

Community connection is where allyship moves beyond the classroom. Connect with your local Land Council or Aboriginal community-controlled organisations, learn about local cultural events and explore ways your school can participate. Source resources and materials from First Nations owned businesses and artists to build an authentic learning environment.

Invite local Elders, community members or representatives to your school, always approaching with genuine respect for their time and knowledge, and think of these as ongoing relationships, not one-off visits.

Real allyship doesn’t happen in isolation – it grows through genuine connection with community.

Here are some activities to promote allyship with students

In the classroom

Ask students to identify an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander person they admire, do research, and create an artwork about why.
Using this Timeline by National Museum Australia, identify when Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from your area first met non-Indigenous people. Discuss what it may have felt like. As an extension, reflect on how this affects the health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.
Include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s books in the classroom – from a local author if possible.
Put up an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander map. When mentioning Australian locations, specify which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Country they are in.

Beyond the classroom

Explore the natural features of the Country your school is on through art and hold an exhibition. Invite Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members, parents and families.
Include Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language in your classroom. Create signs with local words for items alongside English through consultation with a local language speaker.
During National Reconciliation Week and/or NAIDOC Week, invite an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Elder, parent or respected person to share what the week means to them.

Allyship is not a destination – it is an ongoing practice of learning, listening and acting.

Your willingness to engage, reflect and model that learning is what helps to shape a generation that is more thoughtful, respectful and willing to walk alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. And that is where real change begins.

Resources

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