Stories from the ILF

Avid birdwatcher and photography hobbyist Michael Livingston heard about the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) on Indigenous Literacy Day a few years back, and was immediately impressed by the work we do.

Management consultancy firm, Bain & Company Australia have been an ongoing supporter of our Foundation for a number of years now, and in that time have implemented some incredible fundraising ideas!Â

In and around the NT town of Katherine, health workers are modelling ways that parents can enjoy reading board and cloth books with their babies. Wurli-Wurlinjang Family Partnership Program set up this service for new mothers just three years ago, and it reaches families in Katherine township as well as the outlying communities of Kalano, Rockhole and Binjari.Â

More and more, we're realising that Indigenous Literacy Day is more than just a day - it's a way to engage with and celebrate First Nations peoples, languages, and stories everyday of the year. To celebrate and share Indigenous histories, cultures and stories with your youngsters, we've put together a special, exciting Indigenous Literacy Day event for primary and early learners, available now until early December.

The ILF is excited to be launching a new interactive map, which shows the depth and breadth of our work with remote communities across Australia. Originally designed for use by people in remote communities looking for more information about the resources available to them, this public-facing map has been adapted to provide a snapshot of the work ILF does in remote communities. With a number of different features, you can use the map to see what remote communities we work with, what books we've published, and the languages that are used in those areas.

When lockdown hit, we could hardly believe we'd have to do our Great Book Swap over Teams for the second year in a row. Like most businesses, everyone at Bloomsbury Publishing had assumed that 2020 was a one-off.   At Bloomsbury Australia, we love our annual Great Book Swap! So we weren't going to let a pesky lockdown stop us. We had successfully navigated a virtual event in 2020, so we'd just have to do it again!

Are all your staff or students working from home? Would you like to engage them in something fun and interactive that will strengthen connection and release their creative juices? Sign up for one of our Indigenous Literacy Day workshops!

In a Far North Queensland early learning and parenting centre, books from ILF's Book Supply program are helping toddlers and pre-schoolers to expand their vocabulary and learn some literacy readiness skills for when they start at the local state school.

We love hearing the different and creative ways that people find to fundraise for our Foundation, and this story is no exception! Ongoing supporter Michelle Barr started her fundraising off as a personal journey, where she aimed to read 50 books throughout 2021. However, her goal soon evolved into a much larger one.

For the last 12 years, Ben has worked for and with First Nations people in the not-for-profit sector, building programs, developing strategy, sourcing funding, collaborating with partners and shaping thought leadership within the university sector.

Indigenous Literacy Day (ILD) is more than a day. Don't wait for NAIDOC Week or ILD to celebrate the history, stories and cultures of Australia's First Nations peoples.

On the island of Milingimbi, off the coast of Arnhem Land in the NT, there have been some unanticipated spin-offs as a result of the delivery of ILF's Book Buzz and Book Supply programs.Â

In the small community of Robinson River, a 9 hour drive south-east of Katherine in the NT, an early childhood program operates  "” with the help of books and other literacy resources from ILF's Book Buzz and Book Supply programs.

The Indigenous Literacy Foundation proudly presents a celebration of stories and language, going live at 9am on Wednesday September 1. This free, virtual, covid-safe event will provide a window into the richness, diversity and multilingual world of First Nations peoples.Â

Nine-year-old friends Sage Tonkin and Anna Van Den Heuvel from Newcastle, NSW, have turned their passion for books into a celebration of reading aimed at raising money for our Foundation.Â

Every week, Learning with Families in Mparntwe/Alice Springs runs playgroups for babies and toddlers at three different sites in the Central Australian town. And books supplied by ILF's Book Buzz program have become integral to the development of pre-reading skills among youngsters learning at these sites.

This year, Indigenous Literacy Day: Celebrating Stories and Language (ILD) will be held on Wednesday 1 September, and is an annual celebration featuring Indigenous languages, stories, peoples and culture.Â