BA (Lond), MA (Freiburg), GradDipAdultEd (UTS), PhD (UTS)

Director, Centre for Popular Education
Academic area: Centre for Popular Education

Telephone: +61 2 9514 3813
Email: Rick.Flowers@uts.edu.au
Room: CB10.5.507
Campus: City - CB10 Building

RICK FLOWERS is currently Director of the Centre for Popular Education at the University of Technology, Sydney and Program Director of Masters degrees in the Faculty of Education. UTS is internationally renowned for the strength and the considerable size of its research and teaching programs in community education. The Centre for Popular Education fosters and undertakes research in environmental education and advocacy, cultural action, health education and community development, the pedagogy and politics of working with young people, and community leadership. Rick's teaching responsibilities are mainly in the area of non-formal education, curriculum and
development studies.

Teaching Areas:

Education and Social Change 1
Education and Social Change 2
Leading and Facilitating Change
International Perspectives in Education and Development
Culture, Difference and Curriculum

Research Areas:

Research Fellowship
Aboriginal Adult Education, Training and Community Development in NSW Australia Research Council Postgraduate Award
I was appointed Research Fellow in 1987 for this project which was led by Dr Griff Foley. The final research report, completed in 1989, was the subject of media attention including an editorial in the Sydney Morning Herald and a SBS television program.

Research grants and projects

Community Leadership Development in Western Sydney
$231,000
Commonwealth Department of Family and Community Services
2004-6: This action research strategy for those in the Sydney metropolitan area engaged in education, advocacy or action working with people at the 'coalface' to address social issues. It was developed in direct response to a call to build coalitions and alliances across the arenas of education, advocacy and social action. This program brings together community leaders in schools; ethnic, sporting, cultural and activist groups; youth and community work; government agencies; legal support; unions; health services; TAFE, adult and community education.

Community Leadership Development in Mount Druitt
$35,000
Blacktown City Council
2004-6: Research and development of an 24 month community leadership strategy for the Mt Druitt Community Solutions Task Force and Blacktown City Council with Tony Brown, Andrew Chodkiewicz and Teri Merlyn.

Strengthening Community Leadership in Marrickville
|$20,000
Marrickville City Council
2002-4: Research, development and co-ordination of an 18 month community leadership strategy with Derek Waddell, Andrew Chodkiewicz, Celina McEwen and Teri Merlyn

Community Leadership in Macarthur
$45,000
Benevolent Society
2002-4: An 18 month action research and evaluation project for the Benevolent Society’s large-scale community leadership activities in south-western Sydney.

Role of school – community relationships in the Sustainable Schools Program
$20,000
NSW Department of Education and Training and NSW Department of Environment and Conservation
2003-4: With Andrew Chodkiewicz I researched and wrote a paper about the various ways schools and community groups work together for sustainability education.

Engaging young people in the middle years of schooling in Macquarie Fields public housing estate
$10,000
Macarthur Health Service (Health Promotion Team)
2003-4: With Andrew Chodkiewicz provided research, evaluation, administration and publishing support to complement data collection work undertaken by local health service staff.

Bridges: Social capital and community strengthening strategies to address alcohol and other drug issues
$20,000
Blacktown Alcohol and Other Drugs Family Service
2002-6: The focus of the research was an analysis of efforts to build social capital and how these, in turn, help address alcohol and other drug issues.

Patient Education and Popular Education
$10,000
Prince of Wales Hospital
2002-6: I am collaborating with Franziska Trede. We have prepared a discussion paper, developed storyboards as educational materials and planning further research.

The Katoomba Program: An equity strategy to address the social determinants of health
$76,000
Sydney West Area Health Service
2004-6: Action research and evaluation with Tony Webb and Anni Gethin.

Sustainability education research priorities
$2,000
NSW Council of Environmental Education and Environment Trust
2004: Prepared a briefing paper with John Buchanan, Robbie Guevara and James Whelan

Micro-enterprise and education project in Mt Druitt
$5,000
Hillsong Emerge
2004: Researched and prepared a paper with Tony Brown, who was chief investigator.

Building a research and evaluation agenda in community cultural development
$80,000
Australia Council for the Arts
2001-4: Celina McEwen and I prepared case studies, planned and convened forums, developed a set of measurement indicators and produced a ‘survey’ or map of past and current research about CCD.

The Torch: Re-Igniting Community in East Gippsland and South West Victoria
$20,000
The Torch Company and Brotherhood of St Laurence
2002: Celina McEwen and I researched the possibilities of community theatre to enable community building and facilitate Aboriginal reconciliation.

Communities Together! Community Festivals and Celebrations
$80,000
VicHealth
2002-4: I supported Julieanne Hilbers who was the chief investigator to research the role of festivals in building communities and promoting health and wellbeing.

Consumer education
$15,000
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission's (ASIC)
2001: With Andrew Chodkiewicz, Keiko Yasukawa, Celina McEwen and Betty Johnston I:

• surveyed existing research on consumer education issues, including published and unpublished material.
• reviewed the existing research to isolate the messages and lessons that may be relevant for the development and implementation of ASIC's consumer education strategy, including lessons about the factors that make an education initiative effective and any best practice guidelines.
• identified whether there is a need for ASIC to conduct or commission any further research on consumer education issues, and if so, what that research should cover.

Capacity building and training in the advocacy-oriented Australian environment movement
$15,000
Mittagong Forum - Conservation Councils of South Australia, Western Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT, Environment Victoria, Wilderness Society, Greenpeace, Word Wildlife Fund and the Australian Conservation Foundation
1999-2000: With Linda Parlane I prepared a set of proposals to strengthen the capacity of environmental advocacy organizations to engage in their efforts to educate the public and plan and implement social change campaigns.

Political Education for Community Development
$6,000
Social Education Australian Research Concerning Humanity (SEARCH) Foundation
1996: I successfully obtained a seeding grant from the SEARCH Foundation to (a) trial an oral history project for the purpose of instigating a participatory political education process and (b) explore the use of art in political education work.

Culture, Competence, Assessment and Community Development
$5,000
Internal research grant of the School of Adult Education
1996: For this research project I have (i) prepared a paper for a conference keynote address, (ii) submitted a paper to a refereed journal, (iii) developed and taught a new Masters degree subject - Culture, Difference and Curriculum and (iv) been invited by the Federation of Independent Aboriginal Education Providers to conduct further research.

Indigenous Australian Perspectives on Curriculum
$26,000
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
1995: I was engaged, together with Griff Foley, to prepare three research and discussion papers to assist the development of a national indigenous legal curriculum The papers were to be:

• Indigenous perspectives on recognition of prior learning
• Indigenous perspectives on curriculum development and management
• Structures and processes to build and maintain a community controlled national indigenous legal curriculum.

The funding for this project was cut shortly after commencement.

Survey and Analysis of Literature to Assist Review of National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy
$29,900
Commonwealth Government, DEET
1993: I collaborated with Noel Blomeley to establish a team of leading indigenous Australian educators (Dr Paul Hughes, Assoc. Prof. Mary Ann Bin-Sallik and Noel Blomeley) who I worked with jointly to undertake an extensive literature review and critical analysis of recent publications relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander education.

National Policy Paper on Recognition of Prior Learning
$20,000
Australian Vice Chancellors’ Committee
1992: The paper was prepared jointly by Ruth Cohen, myself, Rod McDonald and Hank Schaafsma. It led to the adoption of a policy statement on RPL by the AV-CC and an AGPS publication.

Development of National Competency Standards for the Youth Sector
$46,000
National Health and Community Services Industry Training Advisory Board
1992-4: This was the first national competency standards project in the community services industry. Using a variety of qualitative and participatory research methods it sought to address the distinct nature of practice in the human services industry. Publications resulting from this research include: case studies and analysis of youth work practice; review of curricula; analysis of the nature of Australian youth work practice based on review of recent literature; national competency standards.

The Nature of Legal Support Work with Young People
$20,000
Marrickville Legal Centre and Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies
1991-2: I was engaged together with John McIntyre to research the nature of practice of people who work with children and young people in NSW. The research employed a variety of innovative qualitative research methods. Five separate research reports were produced.

Building Bridges between Black and White Organisations
$3,500
NSW Local Community Services Association
1991: I was engaged to conduct a project to make recommendations about ways to strengthen links between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community organisations.

Aboriginal Community Educators Research and Training Program
$231,000
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
In 1990 and 1991, funding from the Commonwealth Government enabled me to continue work as a Research Fellow. For this project I trialed and researched alternatives to interventionist approaches to community development.

Planned and convened conferences and forums

Strategies for Self-Determination - Aboriginal Community Development and Adult Education
I organised a conference in October 1990 for the launch of a final research report co-authored by Griff Foley and myself. Over 200 people attended, including the Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

Social Action, Learning and Training
I conceptualised and organised this conference in June 1994. Over 200 people from across Australia and New Zealand attended. I have produced an edited set of conference proceedings.

Social Action and Emancipatory Learning
This three day seminar in September 1995 with leading international scholars was initiated by Mike Newman. I was a member of the three person steering committee.

Issues in Community Education
I conceptualised and organised a series of five public symposia from June 1995 to May 1996. Speakers included the Chairperson of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, the NSW Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs, the Director of the Australian Association for Adult and Community Education, academics from the University of Sydney, University of Western Sydney, and the Jesuit Centre for Social Justice.

Community Work, Youth Work and Popular Education
I co-ordinated a three person steering committee and this three-day conference in June 1996. 220 participants attended with presenters from North America, South East Asia, the Pacific and across Australia.

Education and Social Action
I conceived and co-ordinated a series of four conferences with this title in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2004. It is now a brand name and feature of the calendar for many popular educators in Australia and overseas. Over 300 participants attended each conference.
This conference:

• brought people engaged in different fields of social action and education together
• was a forum where activists, workers, policy makers, artists and scholars alike are encouraged to participate
• encouraged research and enquiry to promote practice that helps people strengthen democracy
• had workshops that were sufficiently long to have decent discussions or engage in learning activities
• had plenty of music, theatre and dance; but more importantly there were opportunities for collaborative art-practice.

Cultural Action for Community Health
Together with Judy Spokes from the Cultural Development Network in Victoria I convened a two-day conference that attracted 185 participants.

Series of one-day forums
I convened the following one-day forums between 1999 and 2006. They attracted between 50 and 100 participants.
• Cultural Action
• Songs and Music for Cultural Action
• Creative Practice for Health Promotion
• Youth Arts and Social Change
• Cultural Action for Community Health
• Evaluation and Community Cultural Development
• Celebrations for Change and Development
• Facilitating Change for Health Environments (includes focus on CCD)
• Theatre, Movement and Cultural Action
• Health Education and Community Development
• Stories, Writing and Publishing for Cultural Action
• Celebrations for Development and Change
• Bridges: Building Social Capital and Strengthening Community
• Facilitating Change for Healthy Environment 2
• Community Education about Law and Justice
• Are Libraries Untapped Resources for Community Building and Social Action?

Publications:

Books and chapters in books
McDaniel, M & Flowers, R. (1995). Adult Education and Indigenous Australians. In Foley, G. (Ed.) Understanding Adult Learning. Sydney: Allen & Unwin

Flowers, R. & Foley, G. (1992). Aboriginal Adult Education in Australia. In R. Harris and P. Willis (Eds.) Striking a Balance: Adult and Community Education in Australia: Towards the Year 2000. Adelaide: Univ. of South Australia, 1992 (10 pges)

Flowers, R. (1991). Aboriginal Community Development. In N. Mann (Ed.) Mosaics: A Training Resource for Community Workers in Western Sydney (pp. 110-117). Sydney: Western Sydney Community Forum.

Foley, G., Ingram, N., Flowers, R. & Camilleri, S. (1990). Towards an Aboriginal Community Controlled Adult Education. In M. Tennant (Ed.) Adult and Continuing Education in Australia: Issues and Practises. London: Routledge Kegan and Paul. (27 pges)

Book projects in progress
McLaughlin & Flowers, R. Playing the Arts for Young People and Communities

Flowers, R. & McEwen Community Cultural Development and Popular Education

Commissioned monographs and reports
Flowers, R. and Angel, S. (Eds.) (2006) The Ratbags from Airds: Challenges for Community Action. Centre for Popular Education, UTS: Sydney

Flowers, R. (2006) Bridges: A capacity building strategy to address the social determinants of health behind harm-related alcohol and other drug use in Blacktown. Centre for Popular Education, UTS: Sydney

Flowers, R. & Gethin, A. (2006) The K@toomba Program: An equity strategy to address the social determinants of health. Centre for Popular Education, UTS: Sydney

Flowers, R. & Chodkiewicz (2006) Community Leadership in Mount Druitt. Centre for Popular Education, UTS: Sydney

Chodkiewicz, A. & Flowers, R. (2005) The role of school – community relationships for sustainability education. Centre for Popular Education, UTS: Sydney

Brown, A. & Flowers, R. (2005) Micro-enterprise development and social capital in Mount Druitt. Centre for Popular Education, UTS: Sydney

Flowers, R., Waddell, D., Chodkiewicz, A., McEwen, C. & Livingstone, L. (Eds.) (2004) Community Leadership for Belonging – The Marrickville Experience. Centre for Popular Education, UTS: Sydney

Chodkiewicz, A., Flowers, R. & Heathwood, T. (2003) Engaging young people in the middle years of schooling in Macquarie Fields public housing estate. South West Sydney Area Health Service

McEwen, C., Trede, F. & Flowers, R. (2003) Community Cultural Development and Popular Education in Clinical Settings. Centre for Popular Education, UTS

Flowers, R. & McEwen, C. (Eds.) (2004) Holding the Torch to Re-ignite Community in East Gippsland and South West Victoria. Brotherhood of St Lawrence and Centre for Popular Education, UTS

Flowers, R., Chodkiewicz, A, McEwen, C., Yasukawa, Y. & Ng, D. (2001) Review of literature to assist development of national consumer education strategies, Commissioned Report for Australian Securities and Investment Commission, Sydney

Flowers, R., McEwen, C. & Suhood, T. (2001) Bridges: A Social Capital and Community Strengthening Strategy to Address Alcohol and other Drug Issues, Commissioned report for Blacktown Alcohol and Other Drugs Family Service and Western Sydney Area Health Service, Sydney

Blomeley, N., Flowers, R. , Hughes, P. and Bin-Sallik, M. (1994) A Review and Critical Analysis of Recent Research relating to Aboriginal Education. Canberra: Department of Employment, Education and Training. (81 pges)

Cohen, R., Flowers, R., McDonald, R. & Schaafsma, H. (1993). Learning From Experience Counts: Recognition of Prior Learning in Australian Universities. Australian Vice-Chancellors’ Committee Credit Transfer Project. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service (55 pges)

Flowers, R., McIntyre, J. & Loughman, J. (1993) Defining the Needs and Issues of Young People in the Legal System. Sydney: Marrickville Legal Centre & Assoc. Children’s’ Welfare. (62 pges)

McIntyre, J., Flowers, R & Loughman, J. (1993) The Nature of Legal Support with Young People. Sydney: Marrickville Legal Centre & Association of Children’s’ Welfare Agencies. (18 pges)

Flowers, R., McIntyre, J. & Loughman, J. (1993) Practitioner and Young Persons’ Perspectives . Sydney: Marrickville Legal Centre and the Assoc. of Children’s’ Welfare Agencies. (54 pges)

Flowers, R., McIntyre, J. & Loughman, J. (1993) Aboriginal Perspectives on Legal Support. Sydney: Marrickville Legal Centre & Association of Children’s’ Welfare Agencies. (34 pges)

Flowers, R., McIntyre, J. & Loughman, J. (1993) A Collaborative Training Model. Sydney : Marrickville Legal Centre and the Association of Children’s’ Welfare Agencies. (48 pges)

Flowers, R. & Bowie, V. (1992). Experience Based Learning : Building Sustainable Training Strategies in the Youth Sector. Sydney: NSW Youth Sector Training Council (38 pges)

Flowers, R. (1987). Community Participation in the Transport Planning Process: Community Transport in Western Sydney. Sydney: Fairfield Community Resource Centre (32 pges)

College and university monographs
Foley, G. & Flowers, R. (1990). Strategies for Self-Determination: Aboriginal Adult Education, Training and Community Development in NSW. Sydney: UTS (Final report of Australia Research Council project). (176 pges)

Flowers, R. & Foley, G. (1989). Adult Education and Training in Aboriginal Communities: Two Case Studies of Adult Education Needs, Existing Adult Education Provision and Strategies to get more Training. Sydney: Sydney College of Advanced Education, ITATE. (24 pges)

Flowers, R. & Foley, G. (1988). The Need for Aboriginal Community Adult Educators: Case Studies and Strategies. Sydney: Sydney College of Advanced Education, ITATE. (28 pges)

Refereed journal articles
Flowers, R. (forthcoming). Can Competency Assessment Support Struggles for Community Development and Self-Determination? The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Vocational Educational Research

Foley, G. & Flowers, R. (1992). Knowledge and Power in Aboriginal Communities. Convergence, Journal of the International Council of Adult Education, 12 (2), 31-39

Professional journal articles
Flowers, R. & Trede, F. (2005) ‘Diversity Health’ – Emanzipatorische Pädagogik and Gemeinwesenkunst: Ein Fallbeispiel: Geschichtsbilder auf der Kardiologiestation im Prince of Wales Krankenhaus in Australien, in alice: magazin der Alie-Salomon Fachhochschule Berlin 10/2005

Chodkiewicz, A. & Flowers, R. (2004) Popular Education and Advocacy for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in Education Links, vol. 68
Flowers, R. (2002) Evaluation Perspectives and Practices in Community Cultural Development: A theoretical introduction, in Artwork, no. 53, August 2002

Flowers, R., 1996, ‘Review and analysis of literature relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education’ Australian Journal of Adult & Community Education, v.36, n. 1, April 1996

Flowers, R. (1992). Training Strategies for Aboriginal Youth Workers. 12 to 25, Journal of the NSW Youth Action and Policy Association, 5 (2), 8-14.

Flowers, R. (1991). Aboriginal Adult Education, Employment and Community Development Issues in Western Sydney. WESTIR’s Western Sydney Journal, 11 (1), 12-17.

Foley, G. & Flowers, R. (1989). ‘Doing’ Democratic Education in Aboriginal Adult Education. In A Quarterly Experience 22. 8-9.
Flowers, R. (1984). What is the Use of Geography? Bloomsbury Geographer. 6 (1), 21-25.

Commissioned original distance education texts
Flowers, R. et. al. (1995) Management of Adult and Community Education. Sydney: NSW Board of Adult & Community Education (32,000 words)

Flowers, R. (1996). Community Cultural Development. Sydney: NSW Community Arts Association (35,000 words)

Flowers, R. & Blomeley, N. (1997). Education and Indigenous Australians. Lismore: Southern Cross University (16,000 words)

Editorial contributions and initiatives
Flowers, R. (2005) Education and Social Action, Conference Proceedings, Centre for Popular Education UTS (421 pages)

Flowers, R. (1997). Community Work, Youth Work and Popular Education: Revised Conference Proceedings. Sydney: UTS (310 pges). (I initiated and organised this conference held in 1996).

Flowers, R. (1997). Social Action, Learning and Training: Revised Conference Proceedings. Sydney: UTS (252 pges). (I initiated and organised this conference held in 1994).

Flowers, R. (Ed.). (1993) Working with Aboriginal Families: Stories about Family Support Work. Sydney : Family Support Services Association of NSW and UTS (88 pges)

Series editor of the National Bulletin of Good Practice in Adult & Community Education. The aim of the Bulletin is to provide a publication vehicle which actively supports practitioners in Australia to write about their work and thereby contribute to the study of different perspectives on good practice.

Flowers, R. (Ed.). (1988) Finding Our Voices, Seeing With New Eyes. International League for Social Commitment in Adult Education Conference, Toronto, Canada. (88 pges)

Refereed conference papers
Flowers, R, (June 1997), Is informal education a field of practice? A comparison of Anglo, American and German perspectives. Crossing borders, breaking boundaries research in the education of adults: an international conference. Birkbeck College, University of London

Conference papers
Flowers, R, (1996, September), ‘Can competency assessment support struggles for community development and self-determination?’ Partnerships in Assessment, Auckland Institute of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand

Flowers, R, (1996, October), ‘What do youth workers help young people learn’ Youth Work in Western Sydney, Youth Action and Policy Association

Flowers, R., (1996, November) ‘The Discourse and Politics of Working with Young People’ Joint Annual Conference of the Australian Association of Research in Education and Singapore Association of Research in Education, Singapore

Flowers, R. (1996, November) ‘Popular Education, Centre for Australian Community Organisations and Management, UTS, Sydney

Flowers, R. (1994, August). The Educational Dimension of Community Work. Bi-ennial conference of the European Society for Research of Education for Adults: Lahti: Finland

Flowers, R. (1992, December). Activists as Educators. Annual conference of the Australian Association of Adult and Community Education, Canberra.

Flowers, R. and Loughman, J. (October, 1992). Problem Based Training Program for Legal Support Workers. Annual conference of the Australian Association of Social Work and Social Welfare Educators : NSW University

Flowers, R. (1991, December). Adult Education, Community Development and Community Welfare. Summer Symposium of the Department of Community and Aboriginal Education, School of Adult and Language Education, UTS, Sydney

Flowers, R. & Foley, G. (1988) Research as Dialogue: A Case Study of Participatory Strategies. In R. Flowers (Ed.) Finding Our Voices, Seeing with New Eyes: Annual ILSCAE Conference Proceedings (pp. 35-43). Toronto, Canada : International League for Social Commitment in Adult Education

Major curriculum and teaching documents
Flowers, R. & Kambouris N. (Eds.) (1997) Reconciliation for Young Australians. Canberra: Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (243 pges)

Colier, K. & Flowers, R. (1995). Women of non-English speaking background in the Health Care System. Southern Sydney Area Health Care Authority (21 pges)

Flowers, R., Bowie, V. & King, L. (1991). Directions! A Youth Worker’s Training Map!!! (210 pges). Sydney : NSW Youth Sector Training Council

Flowers, R. (1992). The Associate Diploma in Adult Education (Aboriginal) : Introducing Recognition of Prior Learning : A Program Manual (55 pges). UTS (Note: This was distributed to all UTS Heads of School as an exemplar for considering RPL).