Acknowledgement of Country

Enviroplus acknowledges the Dharawal people, the Traditional Custodians of the Dharawal lands on which we work. We recognise the spiritual and cultural significance of the Dharawal people's 60,000+ year relationship to the land and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.

Literacy provides a fundamental step of building context, comprehension and understanding, whether it is written, visual or auditory. For kids who miss that foundational step in their literacy journey, it has a lifelong impact.

In remote Communities across Australia there is often no infrastructure such as libraries or bookstores. Access to reading material is extremely limited and this impacts the achievements of children.

Since 2011, the Indigenous Literacy Foundation (ILF) has responded to requests from remote Communities for culturally relevant books, including early learning board books, resources and programs to support Communities to create and publish their stories in languages of their choice.

ILF programs:

Book Buzz

The Book Buzz program encourages early literacy by engaging children under five with daily Story Time sessions, helping them develop critical pre-literacy skills.

The Book Supply

ILF provides new, culturally relevant books to schools, Communities, health care facilities, and women's centres, ensuring children and families can enjoy reading.

Community Publishing

The ILF supports Communities to write and illustrate their own stories in languages of their choice and funds the development of digital, audio, and other educational resources and workshops.

We believe every child should have access to books. That’s why we’re proud to support the ILF with its meaningful work.

Through our partnership, we’ve donated over $350,000 and provided 35,000 new, culturally relevant books to children and families in remote First Nations Communities.

This month, we caught up with ILF Chief Executive Officer Ben Bowen to discuss his journey with the ILF, its achievements, and how partnerships, like the one with Enviroplus, are providing culturally relevant books and learning resources to remote First Nations Communities.

Q&A with ILF Chief Executive Officer Ben Bowen

Hi Ben! Why did you decide to join the ILF?

I have had the privilege of working in many Indigenous-controlled organisations and the not-for-profit sector. Literacy can impact many areas of life and opportunity, whether in health, education, sport, or business development.

The role at the ILF came up, and I had known of the organisation for a while and admired its work. Some of my Community and family encouraged me and said that I should throw my hat in the ring, as I had experiences and skills that could impact the future of the ILF.

What has been a personal highlight (or story) during your time at ILF?

There are many, all pertain to the amazing ILF team and the incredible Communities we work with. One moment that stands out was witnessing the pride and passion of the young mob from Barunga, who came and launched their book Shordi Krik and performed at the Sydney Opera House in 2023. These young mob are incredible, and I can't wait to see what they will achieve.

What has been ILF’s most significant achievement?

The greatest achievement of the ILF is the length of time and depth of the relationships with Communities around Australia. We are invited back into Communities year after year and are trusted to work with them to publish their stories in their languages. We have been working with some of these Communities for over 10 years now.

What’s your favourite ILF book at the moment and why?

This is like asking a parent who their favourite child is—we have a favourite but will never say it out loud! I am really excited about seeing an incredible collection of poetry, language, and art compiled by young Mob. Their book was launched at this year’s Indigenous Literacy Day celebrations at Sydney Opera House. .

Why are partnerships important for ILF? What difference do they make to your impact?

The ILF does not access government funds, so we rely on donors and partnerships. This is important because it means the ILF can remain independent of government agendas. We can remain focused on being Community-led. None of the incredible work of the ILF would be possible without our donors, volunteers, and supporters.

What difference has the partnership/contribution from Enviroplus made in helping achieve your goals?

The Enviroplus contributions have had a major impact on the ILF in terms of how we can deliver and have an impact through our work. The contributions are significant and regular. They are also untied, which means the ILF can ensure we are implementing the funds where they have the most significant impact on the literacy aspirations of the Community, whether that's part of delivering over 130,000 books through Book Supply, supporting 119 different Communities to access Book Buzz packs, or publishing new titles through Community Publishing.

What are ILF’s plans/goals for the next couple of years?

The ILF’s goals are to grow our services in line with the literacy aspirations of the over 400 different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities around Australia. Sustainable growth is vital, ensuring that we can provide support for

years to come and never have to roll back resources from Communities. As a Community-led organisation, we will also evolve our offering to support the Communities on their journey of Indigenous literacy.

Thanks to Ben for taking the time to chat with Eden!

Help ILF provide culturally relevant books and learning resources to children and families living in remote Communities across Australia. Donations also support publishing books written by Communities, for Communities, in languages of their choice.