" A not-for-profit organisation based in Maidstone which collects and re-distributes books to Indigenous children have teamed up with a local primary school to help students culturally engage with peers from across the country.

In 2021 the organisation received a major grant from Maribyrnong Council’s 2022 Community Grants Program to start the Kalbarr Project, which aims to connect primary schools in Maribyrnong to those in remote communities. The project has since been backed and supported by member for Western Metropolitan Catherine Cummings.

Co-founder and Chairperson of Books n Boots John Harding said the program is all about fostering a relationship between the two communities, and in doing so help educate children about Indigenous culture and raise awareness of the health and education gaps they face.

“It is an important project of reconciliation, as it will allow the opportunity for the two groups of students to actually speak to each other, and develop relationships between schools in this electorate, and remote and regional communities,” he said.

St. Johns Librarian and Family Engagement Coordinator Daniela Delucasaid the school saw this project as an exciting chance to get involved with something that aligned with their core values.

“This project provides the opportunity for children to connect across different settings and contexts, whilst building friendships through an authentic experience. It also provides children with the opportunity for cross-cultural connection and understanding, bringing to light our value of diversity,” she said.

Mr Harding said while St. John’s is the first school to jump onboard, he hopes it is one of many.

“The beauty of this project is that the students can discuss whatever they feel is important to impart and [share] between each other, that’s what self-determination means in practice. The cultural exchange could touch on a wide variety of topics, food, entertainment, favourite TV shows, or sports.”

Click on the image to read the original article.

An except from the Daily Hansard (22nd March 2022)

Dr CUMMING (Western Metropolitan) (12:59): I recently had the privilege of meeting John Harding from Books n Boots, a First Nations-led grassroots charity established in 2015 in response to the growing demand for books in First Nations rural and remote communities and schools. To date Books n Boots has collected and delivered over 7200 books to communities across Australia and diverted more than 7500 kilograms of books that would have gone into landfill. In addition to the Tiny Treasures book project, the Books n Boots tutoring program and the Kalbarr schools and community project aim to link primary schools in the City of Maribyrnong with remote and regional First Nations communities across Australia. In the spirit of reconciliation the project aims to foster the relationship between schools in the Maribyrnong region and assist them in raising awareness of the health and literacy gaps for our First Nations communities. I am very proud to work with John and his team carrying that out, and I am really delighted to nominate Books n Boots for an innovation award in the 2022 National NAIDOC Week awards, to be held here in Melbourne in July. I wish them well, and I hope that this project actually goes to not just the City of Maribyrnong but around Western Metropolitan Region.

Access to new and culturally appropriate reading material is paramount when it comes to closing the gap targets for literacy and numeracy in First Nations school children.

That's the idea behind Books n Boots, a charity that aims to bring books into the homes of First Nations families.

Books 'n' Boots has since helped thousands of pre-loved books travel to rural and remote First Nations communities and schools.

Click on the Image to hear the full interview

Imagine a truckload of picture books, delivered to kids with love.

That's the idea behind Books n Boots, a charity that saves pre-loved books from landfill and gets them to Indigenous communities in remote Australia.

The charity was set up by John Harding, a Meriam/Gu-Gu Yimider playwright and activist, and his partner Tara Newen, a welfare worker.

"I saw a post [online] from a woman who put out a request for people to donate books," John says.

"The schools don't get any money for picture books.

"And this woman, who's probably my cousin (because everyone on the islands is my cousin) was trying to help.

"I thought: 'Here I am living high on the hog in Maidstone and my little cousins can't access a book!'"

There was a big picture issue here too.

"Sharing a story is one of the oldest aspects of Aboriginal culture," John says.

"Even if it's in the form of a Dr. Seuss book, you're strengthening the bond between families and showing the kids words on a page."

Click on the ABC logo to read the full story

'A Project aimed at closing the literacy gap for First Nations people will see books delivered from Murwillumbah to outback communities thanks largely to Tweed volunteers and businesses.

Volunteers will travel by truck from Murwillumbah to deliver over 1500 pre-loved and new books to school children in Mungindi, Toomelah, and Wilcannia this month as part of the grassroots Books n Boots Project'.

See below for full article