Touch down on home soil was definitely a treat last week, and a bit of an escape from the cold for a few days. We hit the ground running, literally, with a long road trip out to Manyallaluk. Not to mention the scheduled meetings with the Northern Territory Library, Department of Education, Katherine Group School, Catholic Education Office, The Smith Family, Honey Ant Readers and ABC Radio Darwin along the way.
We were fortunate to have had the opportunity to meet key contacts and develop potential partnerships with various organisations that have a shared vision in improving the literacy levels of Indigenous students living in remote locations. Positive meetings with exciting prospects!
Oriel Hawke, the former Principal and current ESL teacher with Katherine Group School took us out to Manyallaluk School, the very spot where our Foundation’s Book Buzz program began at the end of 2009. It was great to meet with vital elders of the community and the new Principal Sue Alccorn to discuss ways in which our Foundation can build upon the Buzz program and further develop literacy improvement in the community. We were thrilled to be out at Manyallaluk and look forward to upcoming possible community identified projects, partnerships with the new childcare centre and the launch of Buzz 3.