Indigenous Literacy Project

Working closely with the Australian Booksellers Association and the Australian Publishers Association, The Fred Hollows Foundation purchases and supplies books and other culturally appropriate learning materials to remote communities where The Foundation works.

With assistance from The Foundation, communities select and order reading material from catalogues provided by The Australian Booksellers Association. They also identify other literacy needs.

This material is supplied to schools, libraries, early learning centres such as crèches, Women's Centres and other identified institutions, to enhance their pool of  literacy resources.

Why is the ILP so important?

There is an enormous gap between the English literacy rates of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Australia. The gap is even wider for Indigenous people living in remote and isolated communities.

Benchmark testing in schools has found that by Year 7, less than one in five children living in very remote Indigenous communities in the Northern Territory can read at the accepted minimum standard.

Low literacy levels are a common and critical barrier to Indigenous people participating in education, employment and community life – opportunities that most Australians take for granted.

History of the ILP

2004

The fundraising initiative behind the ILP was founded in 2004 with the Riverbend Readers' Challenge (RRC), developed and and managed by Queensland bookshop, Riverbend Books. In its first year, the RRC was taken up by 112 schools and readers of all ages. RRC raised almost $25,000 for the purchase of books for the Literacy for Life Program. Over 38,000 books were read by young Australians for the Challenge.

2005

In 2005 the RRC continued to grow. 160 schools completed the Challenge raising $36,890. Schools registered from Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania. Individuals registered from all parts of Australia. The 2005 RRC introduced an adult booklist so that parents, teachers and older teenagers were also able to participate. 

This provided funding for communities in the Jawoyn Region in the Northern Territory:  

• 5 Storage cabinets for Women's Centres and Crèches in Jawoyn region ($2,587);
• Shelving for Wugularr Library ($5,500);
• Books purchased for Jawoyn Region communities ($28,802).

2006

Launched in 2006 as The Australian Readers Challenge (ARC), the project successfully raised $78,000. Almost 14,000 people across Australia read to support Indigenous literacy.  The national collective effort of 350 schools, 64 public libraries and 48 bookshops raised funds which were used to purchase publications and learning materials for the communities were The Foundation works.

2007

The ILP raised over $250,000 in 2007 thanks to the support all of the schools, authors, bookshops, publishers, volunteers and other organisations who participated. A special mention must be given to the ILP Committee who generously gave up their time to support the ILP in 2007. THANK YOU!

• Great events were held right around the country. See the Indigenous Literacy Day 2007 Wrap Up

Indigenous Literacy Day is the focal fundraising and awareness raising event of the ILP, being held on 3 September 2008.

Indigenous Literacy Day is for everyone. Businesses especially from the Book Industry, schools, community groups and individuals are invited to participate. There are lots of ways to be a part of Indigenous Literacy Day 2008:

• Publishers can donate a percentage of their takings from books invoiced on the day;  
• Book sellers can donate a percentage of their book sales on the day;  
• Bookshops and schools can initiate different awareness and fundraising events in their local communities to support Indigenous Literacy Day;
• Individuals can buy a book at a participating bookshop or organise their own fundraising event.

For more information on how to get involved, please visit the ILP website or contact the ILP Coordinator by email or phone: (02) 9388 0087.

"There is a world without books, it really does exist. Maybe not here in your school, or your home, or your library, but in other kids lives, kids the same age as you, with the same smiles, the same tears, the same laughter, all sharing the same country, this big land. But for reasons beyond us all, have missed out on these very special, but also very basic things, like books. Even in the chaos of undone solutions that also seem beyond us all, we can do something about it, to right these wrongs, from the ground up. Together we can fix what is a very big and very old problem.

You should be proud, of yourselves, your school, of the kids out there that have participated in Indigenous Literacy Day. You've opened doors, taken down walls and built bridges".

Tara June Winch author of Swallow the Air, spoke to students at Abbotsleigh Senior School on Indigenous Literacy Day, 3 September 2007.