The Desert Peoples Centre (DPC) is an Indigenous organisation governed by Aboriginal people to serve the education, training and service needs of Aboriginal people living in desert Australia.
The DPC is jointly owned and operated by:
It works to further education and economic aspirations of Aboriginal people throughout desert Australia.
The Centre includes campus facilities at the Desert Knowledge Precinct with a network of remote study centres located across desert communities.
The concept of a Desert Peoples Centre has been the dream of many Aboriginal leaders and education visionaries. The rationale behind its establishment is that a systematic and coordinated approach to Indigenous education and training is needed to foster a framework for the future cultural, social and economic development of Indigenous people and communities.
The Desert Peoples Centre is developing a single strategic plan encompassing the operations of the two institutions and the Centre itself, based on providing services organised on the seven themes to focus activities, namely:
- language and culture
- learning
- knowledge sharing and communication services
- well-being and human services
- human expression
- land and resources
- technology and infrastructure
- livelihoods and economic futures
