Impact of the Creative Arts Indigenous Parental Engagement (CAIPE) Program

Creative Arts Indigenous Parental Engagement (CAIPE) was funded by the Commonwealth Department of Employment, Education and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) as a Parental and Community Engagement (PaCE) project. It is a community driven program for parents and caregivers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children and young people up to the age of 19 years (Department of Education, 2013). It facilitated the production of culturally relevant visual arts (murals and artworks) and resources (books) which drew on the cultural capital of parents, students, and community members. The impact of the CAIPE was measured in eight schools, with a total of over one thousand students, including 155 Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students. The three program elements of CAIPE - In-School Workshop, Early Literacy Storytelling, and Creative Community - were implemented by The Song Room in urban, regional, and remote schools in Queensland, Australia. A mixed methods approach using statistical analysis of data and case studies identified statistically significant increases at the regional schools in attendance, with English grades and literacy outcomes as measured by the National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN). Semi-structured interviews with students, parents, teachers, and school leaders identified key learnings in program design.