Colleen Sam is a Kalkadoon (Kalkadunga) woman, visual artist, and cultural educator. Colleen's art practice stems from a deep cultural knowledge, and extensive experience delivering culturally grounded, trauma- informed arts programming. In addition to her award-winning work as a visual artist and educator, she is passionate about the need to connect Aboriginal people with their cultural identity, history, and traditions through art, storytelling and education. The goal of her art practice is to foster healing, build cultural competency, and empower participants with knowledge that has been historically denied to them, or disrupted due to generational trauma. Her approach is trauma-informed, inclusive, and grounded in ancient knowledge systems. Central to her philosophy as a cultural educator is the idea that if you don't know your culture, you cannot know yourself or your Country. Colleen's practice as an arts educator seeks to connect clients with their own cultural heritage, and in doing so equip them with the confidence and awareness of their responsibility to themselves and their community to empower good decision making.