Literacy is an essential skill for all kids to learn – but not every child has the same access to the opportunities to develop and improve their reading, writing and numeracy. The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF) is working hard to change this, and to ensure kids across Australia have equal access to literacy support.
Since the late 1990s, when the organisation was founded by Kim Kelly and Mary-Ruth Mendel, ALNF has helped people, particularly children, to become active and engaged members of their communities through improving their literacy skills. It particularly supports literacy for students of refugee background and Indigenous communities, and is also working to revive, maintain and revitalise Indigenous languages with its award-winning Living First Language platform.
For the past 11 years, Officeworks has been a proud partner of ALNF and its mission to help students write their own bright futures. In 2022 the appeal raised $650,000, while funds raised through the annual campaign for more than a decade have supported 29,500 children at 250 sites across the country with more than 357,000 books and 53,000 Literacy Packs provided to kids and communities.
These Literacy Packs are available for preschool, primary school and high school students and include age-appropriate literacy resources, such as plasticine for kinaesthetic and fine motor skill development for preschoolers or dictionaries for high school students, all packaged in a fun and reusable tote bag. This life-changing initiative has been shown to create higher levels of student, parental and community engagement in literacy learning. The packs also contain books from ALNF’s Share-A-Book program, which provides new and quality pre-loved books to Indigenous, refugee and marginalised communities in need of resources. The books are distributed to targeted regions across Australia, such as Palm Island in QLD, Alice Springs in NT, the APY Lands in SA, the Kimberley region in WA, and the Mid North Coast in NSW, to name a few.
SEE ALSO: Why Literacy Skills Are Important: Mary-Ruth Mendel
Why Tasman Keith Is an ALNF Ambassador
Supporting the campaign this year is proud Gumbaynggirr man and independent hip-hop artist Tasman Keith, who believes if communication is key to finding common ground “then literacy is one of the many hands that hold it”.
While the talented 27-year-old travels the world for his career, returning home to work with disadvantaged children and teens in remote Indigenous communities as an ALNF ambassador is a role he finds extremely rewarding.
“I grew up in a small town and I know what it’s like not to have a creative outlet and having to find one,” says Tasman, who was raised in the NSW mid-north coast town of Bowraville. “My father always told me, ‘Make sure you can read and write in this world we live in’. So to help kids figure out a way to express themselves through literacy is something I am passionate about.”
Tasman joined a long list of high-profile ALNF ambassadors, including award-winning actor Michala Banas, just over a year ago and he’s relishing every moment. We caught up with the ‘Heaven With U’ singer about how literacy plays a major part in his creative expression.
Why did you come on board as an ALNF ambassador?
It really fills a different cup. I’m still on my music journey, releasing albums and playing at festivals, but this allows me to go back to communities and almost see myself in a lot of these kids living in small towns, being in a place where you are trying to figure out how to express yourself or be creative.
It reminds me of being that young person who was once in that spot as well. I know what it’s like to not have someone [to relate to], so if I can be someone in that space for these kids I will do it.
You’re a mentor through ALNF's Art for Literacy program. Why are these ALNF programs so important?
Growing up, where [I lived] there wasn’t much infrastructure or people that I could look up to, to help with creative expression besides my father [Will Jarrett, renowned rapper Wire MC] or a couple of people in the family. So it was a lot of me and my cousins going into a makeshift studio after school and just writing raps every day. Otherwise it's going to the river or, truthfully, getting caught up in some stuff that's illegal. There aren't that many options. So for me, being an ambassador is super important.
Is there a certain approach you take when you go into these communities?
It’s always a thing for me that I don’t try to do too much for [the kids]. It’s about giving them the tools to do it for themselves, because once I leave they still need to be able to do these things, such as making the right music, write lyrics or whatever they feel they can do to help express themselves and help with their literacy. And I do see a change in their self-belief [over my time with them].
How important is it for them to have that self-belief?
That’s the main thing I want to push in these spaces is that these kids have confidence in themselves. As Indigenous people, there are lots of things that we deal with, and one of the major things is shame.
So it’s teaching that [shame] out of them and teaching them to back themselves. But, not sugarcoating it either. If somebody wants to be a musician, telling them it’s a tough road and it’s a long road. But if you stick with it and work hard, apply yourself and you’re confident, you will get where you want to be without a doubt.
What is their response to you? Do you think they see themselves in you?
We did the Cairns Writers Festival and we did a few songs for the kids up there. Just watching their faces light up as I walk through the crowd and perform for them is a whole different thing. Theirs are some of the loudest cheers we get, performing for those children, because they’re so excited.
As cliche as it may sound, these kids are the future. For me to be able to go there and connect with them, not only does things for them but for myself, too. I get the same amount out of it. I feel honoured [to be asked] to be part of this.
You said your father was instrumental in your literacy journey from a young age. How important is it for parents to support their children in education?
Still to this day I will get corrected [by Dad] if I’m wrong. He’s a very smart man. He’s somebody that I definitely got my love of books, reading and knowledge in general from. I credit him to the fullest because even my little brother, Damien, who is six years old, can name the flags of every country in the world and tell you the biggest population, these things that Dad has instilled in him. It’s just beautiful. Having a father who did that for me too is super integral to what I am doing now.
You can support students to write their own bright futures this September by donating to ALNF at Officeworks in-store and online. Funds raised will go towards the organisation’s life-changing literacy programs to make sure all kids thrive at school and beyond.
SEE ALSO: Why Literacy Skills Are Important: Mary-Ruth Mendel
What to Try
- Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation Donation $2
- Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation Donation $5
- Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation Donation $10
- Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation Donation $20
