A major First Nations-led education initiative is set to expand across Australia, with the Ngarrngga Program entering a new partnership aimed at helping teachers better embed Indigenous knowledge into classrooms.

The program, based at the University of Melbourne, has partnered with the BHP Foundation to support the next stage of the project.

Ngarrngga is led by First Nations educators and focuses on ensuring that students across Australia have the opportunity to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and knowledge systems.

Since launching in 2022, the program has produced more than 1,000 free curriculum resources for teachers covering all year levels and learning areas. It has also delivered more than 19 hours of professional learning aimed at improving educator confidence in teaching Indigenous content within the Australian Curriculum.

The new partnership will support Phase 2 of the initiative from 2026 to 2030, with plans to create an additional 5,000 curriculum resources while also expanding professional learning opportunities for teachers.

Ngarrngga Director Melitta Hogarth said the strong response to the first phase highlighted the need for high-quality resources grounded in Indigenous knowledge.

"Ngarrngga works within the Australian Curriculum to show how Indigenous Knowledges complement and deepen understanding of the world and our relationships with one another," Professor Hogarth said.

"It has been my privilege to lead Ngarrngga's work to date, which has included deep engagement with educators and communities across the country."

More than 390 stakeholders from around 200 organisations contributed to the project during its first phase, while 79 research outputs were also produced.

The program has completed four cycles of curriculum trial and refinement, allowing resources to be tested and improved in real classroom settings.

Professor Hogarth said the latest investment would help ensure the long-term growth of the initiative.

"BHP Foundation's investment will enable Ngarrngga's continued growth and sustainability," she said.

"Australia's educators are key to blazing the trail of this vital work.

"The current generation of young learners will become the next generation of leaders, whose values and intellect will be enriched by gaining a deep understanding of, and respect for, the world's oldest continuous living culture."

The word Ngarrngga comes from the Taungurung language of Central Victoria and means "to know, to hear, and to understand".

The program's broader vision is for all Australian students to have meaningful opportunities to connect with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, histories and knowledge systems throughout their schooling.

Ngarrngga operates as a Signature Project at the University of Melbourne and is a collaboration between the Faculty of Education, Indigenous Studies Unit and Indigenous Knowledge Institute.

The initiative also builds on earlier work developed through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Curricula Project led by Marcia Langton.