A look at what The Readings Foundation Grant recipients achieved last year
Established by Readings’ managing director Mark Rubbo in 2009, The Readings Foundation assists Victorian organisations that support the development of literacy, community integration and the arts.
In 2014, The Readings Foundation provided grants totalling $134, 750 to Victorian organisations that supported the development of literacy, community integration and the arts. (Read more about the 2014 round of grants here.) As well as provide ongoing support to three organisations with which the Foundation have longstanding partnerships, they were also able to support seven new projects.
Here is a brief recap of what these seven new projects entailed.
RISE (Refugee Survivors and Ex-Detainees)
What was their project?
To provide free ESL (English as a Second Language) tutoring classes to refugees and asylum seekers.
What were some of the results?
Over 120 students attended classes and from these, 15 students were placed in Monash short courses. RISE have since expanded the project to Clayton Monash University and are seeking connections with other organisations to supply the demand of students.
The Wheeler Centre
What was their project?
To provide 20 x Hot Desk Fellowships for writers working across the fiction, non-fiction, poetry, drama and young adult genres.
What were some of the results?
In 2014, 20 writers were granted Hot Desk Fellowships, which included a $1000 stipend and workspace in the Wheeler Centre over a ten-week period. Additionally, the fellows were featured on the Wheeler Centre events calendar.
VACCA (Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency)
What was their project?
To provide free books to Aboriginal children in VACCA’s foster, kinship and residential care services in three metropolitan Melbourne regions through the Books in Homes program.
What were some of the results?
In 2014, the Books in Homes Program engaged 41 children from their Southern Program and 46 children from their Northern Program. In this time the children received 12 books each; developed their own home library; attended three cultural book giving celebrations; and engaged with Elders and Aboriginal artists who ran the sessions and passed on cultural knowledge.
100 Story Building
What was their project?
To fund daily and after-school workshops for culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) children and young people at the 100 Story Building premises in Footscray.
What were some of the results?
100 Story Building facilitated 99 workshops involving 1009 participants. 76% of children and young people in after-school programs were return participants. In addition, 11 school group workshops delivered free to schools with a majority of students from low socio-educational advantage backgrounds.
Save the Children
What was their project?
To fund an after-school literacy and homework support program for refugee and humanitarian migrant children (4-12 years) – and their families – living in the high-rise housing commission estate in Collingwood.
What were some of the results?
Save The Children had full attendance at the program, with an average of 30-40 children (ages 4-12) attending the program weekly. Their volunteer base has grown to match this expansion.
Reading Out of Poverty
What was their project?
To provide an early literacy intervention program for disadvantaged children (0-5 years) and parents in Geelong.
Images from 100 Story Building and Save the Children
What were some of the results?
Early literacy support was provided to 600 children from low income backgrounds, with literacy backpacks being gifted to 150 children. Reading Out of Poverty also formed partnerships with 12 community groups to facilitate literacy activities and provided guidance to 40 parents to aid them in promoting reading at home.
Stella Prize
What was their project?
To help establish an educational program, the Stella Prize Schools’ Program (SPSP).
What were some of the results?
Initiatives have included professional development sessions with teachers and librarians; the creation of a free Education Resource Kit; school visits by a roster of schools speakers; and active engagement with the curriculum decision-makers at the VATE and VCAA.