It’s a Friday afternoon at Glebe Treehouse. About a dozen women are participating in a cooking course organised with OZ Harvest. They are whipping up different kinds of pancakes in a warm and easy going atmosphere. The Treehouse—although a metaphorical name—holds the coziness of an actual treehouse. It is located on the premises of Glebe Public School and is a space that parents and children alike can enjoy making friends, socialising and share learning experiences.[BL1] The cooking course is just one of many programs organised during the week. There is also a music program for toddlers, a baby play group for parents/carers and babies, career support and help with admin tasks for parents.
Hellen is a community worker and has been a teacher for over 17 years in the Department of Education. She is managing the Treehouse today.
“I started teaching teenagers with disabilities in high school. After doing that for about 10 years, I worked as a beginner learning and support teacher for kids with special needs as well, but in primary education.”
After almost five years in primary education, she had the opportunity to start a similar role as educator in early education.
“I said yes, and I never looked back. It’s been the best career change of my life to go from year 12, to year 7, to kindergarten, and now to pre-kindergarten. It’s like a backward journey, like the Benjamin Button movie.”
When asked why she decided to embark on this journey, Hellen says that “to be honest, it was curiosity”.
One question she asked herself during the first stage of her career was “why are they coming to the high school with barely any social skills, communication skills or low literacy skills? Yes, they might have a disability, but they also have capabilities”. She knew it wasn’t the school system’s fault, nor the family’s fault or the children’s fault. So she decided to make a career change driven by this big question.
It is now widely understood that there is increasing social isolation within local communities. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, participation in neighbourhood-specific community groups has declined by approximately 35 per cent between 1990 and 2020. However, the increased visibility and conscience around this issue is opening a window of opportunity to bring back those cherished bonds between neighbours: providing the social net of support in forms of friendship, child growing advice, as well as key emotional support in moments of hardship.
Hellen urges that nowadays, “the world is corporate; the world is clinical”. In addressing this dangerous trend of the – often unconscious – isolation of people and communities, she points to the importance of Indigenous cultures in bringing back practices around kinship and belonging, where connections with one’s neighbours are nurtured and valued. [BL3] [ID4]
Wilma, who is looking after her grandchildren, also arrives at the conclusion that “life has become very mechanical”.
She is glad to see how places like the Treehouse act like social nests, organising events ranging from cultural evenings, community lunches or volunteer-led food gathering events.
Trisna, mother of two, moved to Dulwich Hill one year ago. She talks about the importance of a place like the Treehouse within this societal trend.
“I don’t know anyone in my community in the Inner West. I always feel like home in here. Hellen and the other parents make [the Treehouse] an environment with an attitude and behaviour that’s from the heart. This is a place where I can share my feelings[BL5] ”.
In the case of Fatma, it was her preschool aged daughter who encouraged her to come to the Treehouse.
“My perception is that it’s as useful for the kids but also for the parents themselves to communicate with other parents”.
Tina on the other hand, started getting involved in the Treehouse to support her son, and over time became increasingly active, “helping people with family Centrelink forms, apartment housing forms, finding them school options, teaching them techniques, linking them”.
Places like the Glebe Treehouse, a community led by Hellen and supported by a group of committed parents, reminds us of the value of social learning and engagement once again.
If you want to know more about the Treehouse and the most updated courses, you can follow them on their Facebook page or show up anytime Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.