The Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Mathematics Alliance (ATSIMA), together with Wayti Culture and Knowledge, is pleased to announce the 5th ATSIMA Conference, from 1st – 3rd October 2025 in lunawanna allonah (Bruny Island), Tasmania. ATSIMA’s previous conferences established the need for a Revolution in Mathematics Education to improve educational outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners.
The theme for ATSIMA 2025 is Our Language Our Strength speaks to the power of language. In the face of attempted genocide, language has been central to Palawa strength, resistance and resilience. The theme honours Grandmother Smith (Fanny Cochrane Smith) who had the wisdom and foresight to record language for her people. Grandmother Smith has taught us that one seemingly simple act, one moment in time, can have an affect that ripples across generations so that Palawa can maintain their identity, their strength and their connection to Country. As mathematics educators, we need to ensure that we value language within the teaching and learning of mathematics.
We must also realise that, as educators, we have many moments in time that have the potential to strengthen the identity of our children, to ensure they are resilient and can create a future for themselves and their Communities as Indigenous people of this Country.
ATSIMA conferences have, on average, 80 – 100 delegates coming from a diverse range of backgrounds. The conference is an open dialogue between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delegates and non-Indigenous delegates.
ATSIMA continues to create a community of people who are actively involved in the conference and working towards common goals. ATSIMA is creating the Revolution.
ATSIMA invites you to consider sponsorship for this extremely important conference.
palawa kani pumili waranta rrala
Our Language Our Strength
The structure of the conference will take participants on a 3-day journey in connection to the theme. It will enable the Palawa Community to share their story, their culture and their experience with education and mathematics education. The current Australian education system has been developed from a colonisation process that is underpinned by the doctrine of Terra Nullius. The conference will aim to understand how history has shaped education for Palawa, as well as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia, how we can transform mathematics education that can value and directly benefit our people. The theme of each day is as follows:
Day 1: Truth Telling
This day will allow delegates to get a stronger understanding of Palawa people and culture, the impact on colonisation and how this has shaped their lives and their engagement with education. There will be opportunity for other Aboriginal and Torres Strait people to share their story and for all delegates to engage with a discussion about how this history impacts on mathematics education.
Day 2: Strength
This day will focus on the power of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and how this can inform the teaching and learning of mathematics. It will be about a strength-based approach to teaching and learning which will bring in other aspects of strength and resilience that support the cultural identity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This day will also centre palawa kani and how language is being used in education, and mathematics education, across Tasmania.
Day 3: Future
This day will bring together all the learnings across Day 1 and Day 2. The delegates will move through a series of workshops that will give them an opportunity to plan ways forward post-conference.
Timing of each day coming soon!
Murrayfield Station
Trumpeter Road, North Bruny Island, TAS 7150, Australia
ATSIMA invites submissions from representatives from Community, Education and Business sectors. There are two main submission processes for the two types of presentations:
1. General presentations
2. Research presentations
All presentations are in 2 x 30-minute blocks. In the first block, each presenter will have 25 minutes to present their work with 5 minutes for questions from the audience. Each 60-minute block is followed by a 30-minute What are the messages? session. For this session, the presenter will be asked to leave the room while the audience reflects on the presentation and distils the main points. The outcome of the What are the messages? session will inform the conference findings, ways forward and the conference proceedings.
1. General presentations
General presentations can be given in any of the 3 main sectors: Community, Education or Business. The presentations can be narrative/story telling in nature, and where possible, have evidence that supports your story and what your view is on quality learning and teaching for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
The general presentation category will also include the Teaching Practice Sessions where educators can demonstrate a particular pedagogy that has the potential to improve the educational outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. We encourage presenters to not only demonstrate pedagogy but also discuss the theory/idea that sits behind the lesson. Note that all levels of education are welcome to present innovative pedagogy.
For general presentations, the minimum expectation is an abstract (maximum 200 words) that summarises your presentation. An abstract template is provided below. We encourage presentations that specifically explore the range of issues around quality teaching and learning in mathematics education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners.
We encourage participants who are giving general presentations to write a conference paper on the presentation as per the conference paper template below. Conference papers written in this category will be included in our conference proceedings as a non-refereed conference paper and will be considered for inclusion in a special edition of a journal as a non-refereed paper.
2. Research presentations
Research presentations are aimed at researchers from universities and other research institutes. Research presenters will be expected to complete a conference paper by the deadline below and will undergo a double-blind refereeing process.
The maximum length of a research conference paper is 6 pages (including references) and needs to comply with the template below. All research conference papers will be included in our proceedings and, after the conference, authors will be approached to extend their paper for a special edition in a refereed journal.
Please lodge your abstract submission by COB Monday 21 April 2025.
Conference papers – submissions are welcome prior to the conference, papers will also be accepted after the conference up until Friday 7 November 2025 .
A range of accommodation options will be available, including camping, cabins and Airbnb stays. Accommodation bookings will be available with registration. More details will be provided soon!
Murrayfield Station
Trumpeter Road, North Bruny Island, TAS 7150, Australia
From Hobart, it’s about half an hour by car to Kettering where the ferry takes off for Bruny. It leaves every 20 minutes so there’s no real need to time your departure around the ferry. No booking is required, but don’t be surprised if there is a ferry queue during busy periods. Do note, traveling from Kettering at 8am-10am and from Bruny 4pm-5pm are the busiest times, so it can be better (and also cheaper) outside these hours. Last ferry to Bruny Island is around 7pm and last ferry from Bruny Island is around 7.15pm.
For more information visit the SeaLink Bruny Island Ferry website.
A bus service will be available for delegates traveling from Hobart Airport to Bruny Island on Tuesday, 30 September 2025 (departure times to be confirmed). Return transport from Bruny Island to either Hobart Airport or Hobart will be provided on Friday, 3 October 2025 (departure times to be confirmed).
Additionally, a shuttle service on Bruny Island will be available for delegates staying offsite, offering daily transport to and from the conference. Pick-up and drop-off locations will be announced closer to the event.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which we work and live, and recognise their continuing connection to land, water and Community. We also pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
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