The Indigenous Literacy Foundation
Can you imagine not being able to read a newspaper, a road sign or directions on
a bottle of medication? Sadly, this is a reality faced by many Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islanders living in remote communities today.
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) aims to raise literacy levels and improve
the lives and opportunities of Indigenous Australians living in remote and isolated
regions.
This is done by providing books and literacy resources to Indigenous communities
and raising broad community awareness of Indigenous literacy issues.
More information about The Indigenous Literacy Foundation.
Indigenous Literacy Day 2012
Our major fundraising day this year will be on Wednesday 5 September. Join individuals,
schools, booksellers and publishers, libraries and other businesses to celebrate
and raise funds on the day. Click here to register your support now and contact us now if you would like any further information or brochures
and posters.
Information about Indigenous Literacy Day.
Eminent Indigenous Academic Joins Board
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor
Martin Nakata to its Board in 2012. Professor Nakata is the Director of Nura Gili,
the Indigenous centre at the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
Professor Nakata also holds the title of Chair of Australian Indigenous Education
and is the first Torres Strait Islander to receive a PhD in Australia. His current
research work focuses on higher education, curriculum areas, the academic preparation
of Indigenous students, and Indigenous knowledge and library services. He has published
some important research work on Torres Strait Islanders and co-authored three academic
books on various Indigenous Australian topics. He is a regular keynote presenter
at national and international conferences and has published numerous articles on
Indigenous Australians education issues in journals, books and anthologies.
“There is no doubt that Professor Nakata’s wealth of experience in literacy and
education will be a real asset to the board and we value the opportunity to draw
on his skills to further enhance our programming in the remote communities with
which we have been working for the past five years,” said Juliet Rogers, Chair.
Juliet Rogers also announced that due to her increased work commitments Anita Heiss
will step down from her Board position but will continue in her important role as
an ambassadorship for the Foundation.
“We would like to thank Anita Heiss for her contribution and to say how delighted
we are to continue our association with her.”
One Word, One Day
One Word, One Day is an initiative run by the Australian Society of Authors . Australia’s leading artists, cartoonists and illustrators gather in each state to create works of art in response to a word they are given on the day. The works will be auctioned in July.
Read more about One Word, One Day.
Warburton Field Trip 2012
On 18 March, after a fortnight of nervously watching the weather, the ILF team set
out on the long awaited trip to Warburton remote community. This visit was to launch
the new set of Book Buzz including the four titles that have been translated into
local language: One, Two Cockatoo; Who Sank the Boat?; Where’s Spot; and Hattie
and the Fox. The visit was also an opportunity for our evaluators, Deborah Gahan
and Beverley Broughton, to see how ILF works in community.
Dr Gahan wrote:
“Under the committed guidance of teacher Anne Shinkfield, Warburton’s youngest children
and their mothers, fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers are clearly enjoying choosing,
sharing, looking at and reading a range of wonderful picture books that build on
children’s growing confidence… The immediate benefits are there for all to see in
smiling faces and focused looking and listening to words and pictures, and the potential
of the ILF program for laying vital foundations the future education of the children
is not lost on the community, elders and outside observers. The program in this
playgroup is a model for what ILF Book Buzz can be at its very best.”
Read the full report Warburton Field Trip
2012.
School News: Ambassador Visit
Andy Griffiths talked to Our Lady of Good Counsel
students on Tuesday April 2. The children at the school in Karrinyup have helped
raise funds on Indigenous Literacy Day for the past three years and won the Ambassador
visit for 2011.
Has your school registered in 2012?
All schools are invited to register and go into the draw to win a visit from our
ambassadors this year. Register your school by 31 May and you could win an autographed
class set of Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.
Register your school with The Indigneous Literacy Foundation!
Reading with Children – a second edition
ILF is working with communities and Kid’s Own Publishing to develop a second edition
of Reading with Children. We aim to make the book accessible to a wider range of
communities, through removing the Kriole (which is relevant only to Manyallaluk
community) and making the remaining text more reader friendly. This time the book
will be illustrated by children’s drawings. The main content of the book – clear
instructions to parents on the best way to read with young children – will remain
unchanged.
Mangarrayi & Yangman Plants & Animals Book
One
of the many projects Debra Dank managed in 2011 was the funding of a community-initiated
book that captures the diverse and rich Aboriginal knowledge of the plants, animals
and landscapes that occur in Mangarrayi and Yangman country. This is home of the
magnificent Elsey National Park and the country where the iconic book and film We
of the Never Never and we are delighted to say published copies have recently been
delivered to elders and the community.
Jarjums Yarning - North Stradbroke Kids’ Literacy Projects
At the end of 2011 the Quandamooka people
of North Stradbroke Island celebrated the launch of two books written and illustrated
by the Jarjums (children) at Dunwich State School. The two books, published by The
Indigenous Literacy Foundation, are What is a Disaster I hear you say which
dealt with the kids’ views on natural disasters and Alphabet Antics, an
A-Z book about the landmarks on Stradbroke Island.
Read more on the Community
Identified Literacy Projects page.
Download the order form
Please click for larger view.
'The Naked Boy and the Crocodile'
In the past few years as an ILF ambassador, Andy Griffiths has travelled around
Australia with other members of the Australian book industry to conduct writing
workshops with students in remote communities.
The students were given small blank "books" and invited to fill these books – using
both picture and words – with a story based on their own lives. These stories could
be true or fictional or a mixture of both. They could be dramatic, funny or simply
about an activity they love.
The thirteen stories included in this book tell tales of playing with friends, riding
motorbikes, picking berries, hunting for emu eggs and wild pigs, terrifying turkeys
and angry mamus.
'The Naked Boy and the Crocodile' is now available in bookshops across Australia.
More information |
Download the order form.
Naked Boy and the Crocodile readings
Clare Gray, Principal of St Joseph’s School Wyndham, said: 'We certainly
appreciate the enjoyment, support and encouragement that Andy Griffiths brought
to our school. His talents and wonderful humour clearly demonstrated the importance
of the work done by The Indigenous Literacy Foundation. To see the sense of achievement,
pride and confidence in all our students, especially Romina, Jack, Lazarus, Calli-Rose
and Dominic, resulting from this project has been the real success.'
The video to the right is Calli Rose Woods reading 'My Turkey'.
Please click here for more infomation about 'The Naked Boy and the Crocodile' and another special video of Stewart
Dryden reading another story from the book in place of his brother Jack who was away at boarding school.
A message from a community
'Our service has been very fortunate to have received numerous amounts of books
over the past two years from the Indigenous Literacy Project. I can't write
in words the extend of our gratitude for the high quality and quantity of books
we now have in our literacy library representing not only the indigenous community
but also the Australian community. Due to the number of books we have received we
have shared them with three other local preschools, a local primary school and the
local Aboriginal Health service. Thank you for allowing us to be a recipient of
the literacy resources and so many other services across the nation. I have only
heard positive comments about the project from professionals, parents and children.
With kindest regards, Lesley Harvey, Centre Director/Teacher/Broken Hill.'