Media Archives - Literacy for Life Foundation

ABC PM Features Aboriginal Literacy Program

May 31, 2018July 10, 2020

Jack Beetson joined Linda Mottram on ABC’s PM to discuss the Foundation’s Aboriginal literacy program and why low literacy is still an issue in 2018. The interview coincided with the launch of the Foundation’s new public awareness campaign, aiming to draw attention to the issue of low literacy in Aboriginal communities. The campaign was covered...

Jack Beetson on ABC Speaking Out

April 10, 2018July 10, 2020

Our Executive Director Jack Beetson recently sat down to have a chat with Larissa Behrendt on ABC radio’s Speaking out. The two discussed Literacy for Life’s work lifting rates of Aboriginal literacy and progress towards closing the gap, as well as Jack’s early life and professional career. You can listen to the interview and find out...

Literacy for Life Foundation receives inaugural award from the Australian College of Educators

November 2, 2016July 10, 2020

The Foundation has been awarded the inaugural Cynthia Briggs Empowerment through Education Award for our recent work. See the citation below from the Australian College of Educators. The ‘Yes, I Can!’ Aboriginal adult literacy campaign’, overseen by the Literacy for Life Foundation (www.lflf.org.au), was launched in Wilcannia in February 2012. The campaign uses a...

Insight: Reading Between the Lines – Improving Indigenous literacy

August 24, 2016July 10, 2020

SBS’s Insight with Jenny Brockie aired an episode on low literacy levels in Australia. Jack Beetson was a part of the conversation. Insight: Tuesdays at 8:30pm on SBS ONE...

Leaps and Bounds in Literacy

June 21, 2016July 10, 2020

Question: What do the following two words have in common? Discourage Cauliflower Answer: They both include all five vowels – a e i o u. If you answered correctly, well done! These two words were brought in to class by one of the students in Intake Two of the Brewarrina First Nations...

Educator Jack Beetson on surpassing expectations – Conversations with Richard Fidler

June 7, 2016July 28, 2017

Jack was born into an Aboriginal family in western NSW. At school, he was an outstanding student, but when he wanted to study commerce and history, he was diverted to metal work and social science subjects instead. His teacher told him: ‘Aboriginal kids just don’t do those harder subjects’. Jack rebelled against the school...

Read this beautiful short story, a Ngemba man’s first prose at 56 years old

March 29, 2016July 10, 2020

NITV published an article on one of our participants, Liam Henry Bloomfield, here is his story: Our River, by Liam Henry Bloomfield The river was the lifeblood of our town called Brewarrina. The Barwon Darling looked so beautiful in the flood time. The fish traps look so peaceful and lost when no water...

Cuba exports literacy to Aboriginal communities on AWAYE!

March 20, 2016July 10, 2020

Jack Beetson has worn many hats. Now the Ngemba and Wongaibon educator, philosopher and honorary adjunct professor is working to eradicate illiteracy in Aboriginal communities in New South Wales and he’s been honoured by the Cuban government for utilising teaching methods developed in the early years of the Castro regime. The method known in...