Glencore and Books in Homes Australia have been in partnership since 2007 providing thousands of children in North West Queensland with new books each year, with the aim of encouraging educational development in reading and literacy.

Over the 15 years of supporting the program, Glencore and Books in Homes Australia have delivered over 173,000 books to primary school aged children and are on track to deliver over 200,000 by the end of 2023 at the expiration of the current sponsorship agreement.

The Glencore team celebrated the achievement with a sign on the Barkly Highway outside Cloncurry, which proudly displays the 173,000-book milestone delivered to date. Keep an eye out for it if you are driving between Mount Isa and Cloncurry.

Through Books in Homes, every student at each of the eight Glencore-sponsored schools receive nine books-of-choice a year, to take home and start building their own home libraries, increasing their exposure to quality reading material and fostering a love of reading that will hopefully last a lifetime.

Every student selects books they would like to read from a Preview Pack of 48 books, which is then donated to each school library in participating schools in Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Camooweal, and Dajarra.

The books cover four reading levels, including picture books, novels, non-fiction books, graphic novels and more. Of those books, 25% are written and / or illustrated by Indigenous creators.

Leighanne Hann, the Books in Homes Coordinator of the program at Mount Isa’s Sunset State School, says the Sunset students look forward to the Books in Homes Book Giving Assembly each operating term to receive their books.

Ms Hann says she regularly sees students cherish their books. She tells the story of one Sunset State School student who has kept every Books in Homes book from Prep through to Grade 6, and treasures them in a bookcase at his home.

Glencore has committed to funding this program until 2023, for selected schools in Mount Isa, Cloncurry, Camooweal and Dajarra. By the end of 2023 Glencore will have donated over $1.62 million and provided over 206,000 books to children who otherwise might not have access to them.

Of those 206,000 books, 180,000 books-of-choice will go directly to children via the 60,000 student orders, benefitting them, their families and their communities. This is an extraordinary feat and an unprecedented corporate commitment to children, living in remote and rural communities where there is a scarcity of books and where travel to bookshops and libraries from outlying areas can be difficult and cumbersome.

Maryann Wipaki, General Manager for Health, Safety, Environment and Community for Glencore Queensland Metals says the Books in Homes program is Glencore Queensland Metals’ flagship education sponsorship and one of our longest running partnerships.

“We encourage our team to attend book giving assemblies and make guest appearances at story time readings in schools, and to share their love of reading with the students,” says Ms Wipaki.

Thanks to the initiative, teachers are happy to report that learning outcomes have improved, as well as school attendance.

Through this program Glencore is helping to build the foundations of a literature-rich environment for children in their homes and schools, improving their potential for the future.

Thank you and congratulations, Glencore, for your outstanding contribution to your community and for helping build a better future for so many young Australians.

ENDS

Media Contacts:

Peter Large, CEO
Phone: 02 9434 2488 or 0411 405 405
Email: peterlarge@booksinhomes.com.au

Julie Ditrich, Communications Coordinator
Phone: 0412 445 511
Email: julieditrich@booksinhomes.com.au

PHOTOS
Top: Miranda Giuliano, Manager Safety and Health Operations, Glencore Queensland Metals at Sunset State School, Mount Isa.
Bottom: Marking the 173,000-book milestone delivered to North West Queensland school students over 15 years.