City of Melville Council has received $60,000 from the WA Government for its Write Club project, which helps local students develop key skills in literacy, critical thinking and self-confidence.
The funding has come from the round four of the State Government’s Creativity for Schools (CFS) grants and will go towards the next chapter of the program.
Write Club is a writer and artist in residence project developed by Council’s creative learning team that brings accomplished Western Australian creatives into the classroom to help young creatives put pen to paper.
In this project, Council library staff also support the students as they work on a single piece of writing and an illustration that responds to a theme. Their creative work is then published into a book, which is celebrated with a book launch and exhibition of their artwork.
The $60,000 grant from the State Government will go towards the next round Write Club, running in Term 3 and 4 with author Deb Fitzpatrick and artist Zali Morgan at Caralee Community School.
“We’re so pleased to receive this funding from the State Government through the Creativity for Schools grants for our Write Club project,” said Mayor, Katy Mair.
“Since launching in 2022, Write Club has helped develop key skills in literacy, critical thinking and self-confidence for students at Caralee Community School.
“It’s been so great to see the work completed by our local students, who have gained self-confidence and a greater sense of belonging by working with the authors.
“I’m so excited to see the outcomes from the next round of Write Club, and I can’t wait to see what these young creatives produce,” she said.
The program will then be extended into Melville Senior High School with Aboriginal Cultural Education Students in 2025.
This funding will extend the Council’s relationship with Caralee Community School, following publication of From Here to There in 2022, and A Giant Leap in 2023. Â
Throughout the project, Ms Fitzpatrick and Ms Morgan will equip students with a series of tools they can use to their own creative work, building their confidence to solve problems and tackle challenges as they come up.
By building participants understanding of the ‘work’ of writing, the program develops students’ capacity and confidence to solve problems as they emerge, rather than seeing these as evidence that they ‘can’t write.’
For more information about Write Club, visit https://www.melvillecity.com.au/writeclub.
