Tracy Singleton and Kerry Grace have worked together to build social capital in their community for just over two decades sharing their ongoing learning experiences with one another, and a cohort of women who also share their approach to lifelong learning and service to their community.
Over two decades this learning partnership, and friendship has spanned job roles, community responsibilities, cultures, family and a range of formal, and informal learning experiences.
Opportunities to learn skills to build social capital and impact in rural communities are not abundant in Australia, in fact at best education is offered online by entities that don’t always have a full understanding of rural context. The tyranny of distance supports this approach as an economically viable alternative and as a result the richness of learning that is created when people come together is lost.
Informal partnerships such as the one held by Tracy and Kerry better enable a collaborative approach to both education and also rural social impact. Over many years the two have built context into their learning and delivery partnership which now provides a strong backbone for any program and community activity to be built upon.
Tracy is the CEO of Galambila Aboriginal Medical Service based in Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia she is a proud Gumbaynggirr woman. Co-presenter, Kerry Grace has recently completed a role as Director of Regional Development for a rural not for profit organisation and is now a self-employed social entrepreneur. Her non-indigenous family have lived in Gumbaynggirr nations for eight generations.
Tracy and Kerry have travelled to SOCAP from Australia to learn, and to showcase the importance of their lifelong commitment to collaborate across roles, cultures and generations, to continue learning and to create impact in their community. With a working relationship that spans decades the two have navigated various community and employed roles building on a strong partnership which they draw upon to build social capital in their community.
