“The Curiosity Effect”Why Curiosity Matters More Than Ever
– by Dr. Kate Raynes-Goldie
Oceania’s leading LEGO® Serious Play® expert
AI is changing the way we work. But for most organisations, the real challenge isn’t the technology itself. Its the human side – tech fatigue, disconnection and uncertainty about how to move forward when certainty is no longer possible. When AI levels the playing field for so many capabilities, those capabilities stop being a competitive advantage.
Your edge becomes the one thing AI can’t replicate: curiosity. The organisations that will thrive won’t be the ones that try to predict the future – theyll be the ones using curiosity to create it.
In this interactive keynote, Dr Kate shows why curiosity is the number one skill of the 21st century — and then helps your people reignite theirs.
Powered by SUPERCONNECT® and LEGO® Serious Play®, participants dont just hear about curiosity, they experience it.
Through a psychologically safe, playful and thought-provoking shared experience, they explore what boosts their curiosity, what gets in its way, and how to intentionally cultivate it.
“The Importance of Storytelling”
– by Helen Milroy AM
Australia’s first Indigenous Doctor, Palyku Woman & Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Western Australia
This keynote presentation will consider the understanding and science behind storytelling and the impact on development in early childhood.
Storytelling is one of the oldest forms of learning and a key component of cultural learning in Aboriginal families.
Aboriginal storytelling embeds children in an ecological framework, encourages autonomy and insight to promote resilience.
Developing extensive creative networks in early life facilitates innovative problem solving in later life and is protective for the brain in aging. Aboriginal storytelling provides a foundation for the development of identity, place and purpose through developing a coherent personal narrative, broader connection to the natural world and kinship caring principles.
“Who holds the camera?”
Why children’s voice, choice and agency matter more than ever in a digital age
– by Kelly Royds
Executive Director of Knowledge Mobilisation & Practice at the Australian Childhood Foundation
By the time a child starts school, countless images, videos and digital records of their lives may already exist online. Cameras, mobile devices and digital platforms have become embedded in early childhood settings, often with the best intentions of documenting learning, strengthening family engagement and supporting safety.
In the 1970s and 80s, paper-based records tracked children’s days for parents. Today, digital technologies do the same job, but at a scale and speed no one quite planned for.
As the sector grapples with concerns about child safety and growing interest in technologies such as CCTV, how do we ensure children’s rights, voice and agency remain at the centre? Technology can support safety and participation, but it can also record, represent and monitor children in ways they do not control and that introduce new forms of harm.
In this keynote, Kelly explores how early childhood educators can critically reflect on digital technologies through the lens of safety, consent and participation.
The challenge is not whether we use these tools, but whether we use them in ways that genuinely strengthen children’s voice, choice and agency.
A multi-award winning, globally recognised LEGO® Serious Play® expert, cultural futurist and Business News tech & innovation columnist, Dr. Kate Raynes-Goldie is the creator of SUPERCONNECT®, an internationally used, evidence-based method built on LEGO® Serious Play® that optimises for curiosity, human connection, belonging and psychological safety. Dr. Kate also is the Chief Curiosity Officer at The Up Next Company, where she specialises in helping different leaders pivot and grow during times of change.
Born in Canada, Dr. Kate has more than two decades of international experience working with a variety of global organisations including Google, Microsoft and the Mozilla Foundation. She’s spoken at TEDxPerth, SXSW, SXSW Sydney, Remix Summit, and The International LEGO Serious Play conference at Legoland in Denmark, and has been featured in MTV, NPR, Triple J’s Hack, ELLE Magazine and The Australian Financial Review.
She is an accredited Mental Health First Aider, Professional Member of Professional Speakers Australia and was named one of Western Australia’s 40under40, the Australian Computer Society’s Digital Disruptors Professional of the Year and Incite Achiever of the Year.
🌐 Website: https://www.kateraynesgoldie.com/
📲 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateraynesgoldie
Helen Milroy is a Palyku woman whose homelands are in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
Helen is Australia’s first Indigenous doctor and currently works as Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Western Australia.
Helen is also the Associate Dean Indigenous for the UWA School of Medicine and Co-director of the Embrace and Healing Families, Healing Kids Teams at the Kids Research Institute.
Helen is the Chair of the Gayaa Dhuwi Proud Spirit Australia organisation and a board member of Beyond Blue.
In 2020, Helen was the joint winner of the Australian Mental Health Prize and named the WA Australian of the Year for 2021. Helen was formerly a Commissioner with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse for 5 years as well as with the National Mental Health Commission and the AFL.
Helen is also an artist and published author and illustrator of children’s books and has been shortlisted for several children’s literature awards.
Kelly Royds is the Executive Director of Knowledge Mobilisation & Practice at the Australian Childhood Foundation, where she leads a national division delivering training, consultancy, research translation and practical trauma-responsive resources across the early years, parenting, schools, out-of-home care and youth justice sectors.
Kelly works closely with governments, service providers and communities across Australia to strengthen the systems that support children, young people and families.
Her work focuses on helping organisations create safe, relational and inclusive environments where children can thrive. She brings extensive experience in systems reform, workforce development, evaluation and child safety, translating evidence into practical approaches that support everyday practice.
Kelly also holds a PhD in Childhood Studies. Her research examined media-facilitated approaches to global education, exploring how digital storytelling can support children’s voice, agency and understanding of the lives and experiences of others. This work included participatory projects with children and young people in Australia and internationally. She currently serves on the eSafety Commissioner’s Parent Advisory Group.
Passionate about centring the voices of children, young people, carers, practitioners and communities, Kelly draws on her experience across child protection, systems reform and digital safety to translate complex ideas into practical strategies that improve outcomes for children and families.
Looking forward to hearing from you!
Do you have a question about the Early Childhood Learning & Development Conference 2025? Want to get involved? We would like to hear from you!