NAIDOC Week: My Vision for the Next Generation Craft is a meaningful and creative resource designed to help students reflect on their personal hopes for the future of the next generation in Australia. Held from July 6 to 13, NAIDOC Week encourages all Australians to celebrate First Nations cultures, histories and achievements while working together toward unity and equality.

Centred on this year’s theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision, Legacy, this craft invites students to honour the achievements of the past while imagining the potential of the future. Using a symbolic sunglasses template, students represent their vision for the future, looking ahead with optimism and purpose while using vocabulary and imagery that reflect truth, respect and healing.

With three differentiated templates included, this resource is adaptable to suit a range of year levels and abilities. Whether working independently or in groups, students will engage in rich discussion and visual storytelling, culminating in a collaborative display that represents the collective hopes of your classroom community.

Key Learning Outcomes:

• ✅ Reflect on the meaning of this year's theme and the history of NAIDOC Week
• ✅ Express personal vision for the future through collage, illustration and words
• ✅ Build vocabulary around unity, respect, and understanding
• ✅ Engage in critical and creative thinking about Australia’s shared future

What’s Included:

• Three differentiated sunglasses craft templates (worksheet and cut-and-craft versions)
• Optional writing template for reflection paragraph
• Printable display banner for showcasing completed work

Materials Needed:

• Printed templates (on white or coloured cardstock)
• Old magazines or newspapers for collaging
• Pencils, black fine liners, scissors and glue

How to Use:

• Begin with a class discussion about past achievements of First Nations peoples and what a reconciled, unified future could look like. Encourage students to think deeply about the words and imagery that represent their personal vision.
• Have students choose a template suited to their level and decide whether to collage or illustrate
• Students decorate the sunglasses frames and fill the lenses with drawn or collage images symbolising their vision
• In the frames, they write key words such as truth, unity, respect, and healing
• Students complete a short written reflection explaining their design choice and how they support a vision for a positive future.
• Display the finished sunglasses crafts with the included banner to create a collaborative visual display

Ideas for Classroom Use:

• 💡 Use as a culminating task during NAIDOC Week after exploring key texts and vocabulary
• 💡 Pair with picture books that explore reconciliation themes, such as Finding Our Heart by Thomas Mayor
• 💡 Use in conjunction with the other resources in our NAIDOC Week collection

Top Teacher Tips:

• 💛 Discuss respectful use of First Nations symbols before beginning the collage
• 💛 Enlarge templates to A3 for younger learners or students who need more space to work
• 💛 Display sunglasses in rows on a bulletin board to create a class “vision wall”

NAIDOC Week: My Vision for the Next Generation Craft is a powerful way to help students reflect, imagine and share their hopes for a future shaped by understanding, equity and connection.