Inaugural Bi-Annual HUB Conference 2024

The Vision

Capturing the minds of every educator, and what their niche professional development dream is, can be complex. The Hub leaders asked questions, heard the answers and saw potential in an all in professional development weekend, not only full of rich content, but hosted in a beautiful location, with delicious food and room for play.

  • Why not plan an event which honours the time and effort of our educators?
  • Why not invite a Keynote speaker, who can share their wealth of knowledge, and deliver it on mass?
  • Why not leave time in the day to play games, share laughs and bond?

Introducing, the first ever bi-annual HUB Conference, 2024.

“Reggio Emilia in the Vines”
Saturday 3rd August, 2024
Ben Ean Estate – Hunter Valley, NSW

Kirsty Liljegren – Keynote Speaker

On behalf of REAIE

Kirsty Liljegren is a highly regarded professional learning provider for the ECEC and early primary sector. She is also an invested member of the Reggio Emilia Australia Information Exchange Board, embodying the organisation’s vision of reimagining education for a just society through her unwavering dedication to collegiality, collaboration, and making a difference. As a co-convenor of conferences and research symposiums, Kirsty has played a pivotal role in creating spaces where education professionals come together to share insights, inspiring practices, and innovative ideas influenced by the educational project from Reggio Emilia, Italy.

The HUB has always been influenced by the practices and visionary ideas from this system of education, designed in Reggio Emilia, Italy. We have always been steadfast in our commitment to challenging the way we think about children, and how children, adults and community work together, in a shared pedagogy.

What we also identified is, as our organisation grows, we welcome new educators with the same commitment, but sometimes without the understanding of the principles and practices of the Reggio Emilia approach. So came the first Reggio Emilia Inspired Conference, led by Australia’s finest, Kirsty Liljegren.

  • encountering the values and principles of the approach
  • delving into the core principles
  • our view of children and how this impacts the role of the educator
  • the environment as the third teacher. Possibilities for curating inviting, stimulating and interactive spaces that promote children’s learning processes
  • the hundred languages of children: a metaphor for the extraordinary potentials of all children
  • educational documentation: how to work systematically to document children’s ideas, thinking, and explorations of the world to inform curriculum design
  • the participation of families and the broader community.

We listened. We delivered.

For more information on REAIE click here.

Twenty-one years ago, after the birth of her third child, our Approved Provider, Raylee Davies had a dream. A dream to create something bold, something with purpose and something that would provide love to the community she cared so much for.

Fast forward to 2016, that dream became a certainty.

2024 welcomes another emotional milestone for Raylee and the organisation, the launch of our very first “Mission Statement”. A labour of love was penned and then put to print.

At this conference, Raylee launched this statement to a packed room of 80 educators and leaders, sharing with them a statement which is beautifully arranged in three core pillars, which all stem from a simple foundation of love.

Knowing who we are and to whom we belong means we can love others unconditionally, shaping healthy children, families and a connected and wholesome community.

We Believe
Our Mission
Our Vision

In 2021, Raylee and Courtney Rossetti, our Pedagogical Leader embarked on a philosophy proposal, which would see each individual HUB services, research, gather and design their own exclusive philosophy which spoke to their children, educators, families and community.

Directors, Educational Leaders and the wider HUB team of educators, families and communities reflected on our overarching HUB philosophy to help guide the construction a new document – specific to them. These documents were heart felt, bespoke and told a story of not just what and how, but why we do what we do.

They were unveiled in style at the conference, adorned in the natural Hunter Valley light to be read and admired by our sister HUB services.

It has been three years in the making, but good change takes a long time.

To break up the day of content rich enquiry, a Wine Olympics was held, hosted by Pinnacle Events.

4 successful Olympians were selected from each HUB service, to participate in a selection of “vineyard’ inspired Olympic disciplines, including:

  • grape stomping
  • wine glass relay
  • grape catapult.

5 HUB services went head-to-head, with one service taking out the coveted Wine Olympic title. Congratulations to the HUB Sandgate for succeeding in all 3 events!!

We believe in strengthening the interpersonal relationships within our teams, allowing for fun together, sharing experiences & promoting social cohesion so we keep morale high and maintain a thriving culture.

A place were everyone WANTS to be.

“This was such an amazing opportunity. I was inspired not only by the presenter but also being surrounded by a wealth of experience of the educators in the room. I left the day feeling inspired and appreciate the opportunity to attend.”

Mel C

“Nestled together in the heart of the Hunter Valley where minds mingled, ideas challenged, hearts united and passion set ablaze as we forged a new path for our beautiful Hub Family.”

Lauren P

“Inspiring, intentional and practical”.

Keira D

“I enjoyed how interactive the session was, hearing how other educators of The Hub operate and share, and the presenter’s response to these people was one of my favourite parts”.

Kylie R

“Inspiration at its best. Embraced in nature and the sharing of exquisite knowledge.”

Kim T