Booktober
How We Help
IMAGINE a world where your stories aren’t told.
No books. No films. No songs. Nothing about you, your family, or your culture.
WestWords aim is to change that. We give Western Sydney a voice, a space to be heard and celebrated. WestWords’ approach is directly targeted to build the cultural economy of Western Sydney by bringing published authors into schools to use storytelling to increase literacy and develop emerging young creatives. The program culminates with each student being presented with their own published and professionally edited book collating all their written stories.
Whilst some of our participants do not necessarily go on to pursue careers as writers, we know that engaging them through creativity builds their confidence and skills of communication, motivates them to participate in their broader education and increases dramatically their life skills to partake in and contribute to their community.
The schools we work with largely are within low SES communities of Western Sydney. We recognise that shifting the financial wellbeing of individuals and communities starts at the grassroots level – creating change through the power of the written word allows students to potentially change the narratives of their lives. This has never been as important as it is now, with children experiencing disrupted learning over the past two years.
All funds you raise through Booktober™ will go directly towards providing opportunities for these kids with the provision of books and specialised literacy programs. If you believe in the power of literacy and creativity, then Booktober is definitely for you!
"Working with WestWords changed my life. It’s helped me with my confidence, it’s helped me with my writing skills, with how I write, with the way I view writing. They basically made me a better person."
This comment was made by fifteen-year-old Ali from Granville Boys High and demonstrates the social and creative power of storytelling in all its forms, providing the platform to connect, cross the barriers of social disadvantage, and demonstrate authentic inclusion and empowerment.
Some of these young people have never even owned a book, let alone had the opportunity to attend a creative writing and literacy program that will encourage them to tell their own stories and write their own book.
WestWords works directly with schools and has seen first-hand the need for their programs and the amazing outcomes. In a region that includes 150 cultures, and over 170 different languages spoken, WestWords creates a platform for these kids to build confidence, discover commonality within their differences and create their own identity through storytelling. By becoming a Bookworm and raising funds during Booktober, you will enable their stories to be shared.
Quite simply, literacy changes lives.
Funds raised through the Booktober initiative will put books into the hands of kids doing it tough in the Greater Western Sydney region as well as provide supported literacy and creative writing programs that help them reach their potential.
