During the lockdown imposed to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus in 2020, Sunrise Rotary has continued to hold weekly meetings using Zoom. Guest speaker for one of the meetings was Corey Tutt, the founder of the program known as Deadly Science. Corey zoomed in from Sydney and informed Sunrise Rotary members that the Deadly Science program has already provided 9,000 books and other culturally appropriate early reading materials to remote primary schools in Australia with high Aboriginal student populations. The books and other reading materials are all science orientated. The Deadly Science program has also established the Deadly Junior Scientist Award and provided 300 telescopes to isolated Aboriginal communities.

Research shows that only one in four young Aboriginal children in rural & remote communities read at a level equivalent to their peers. Corey and his team have shown that with access to science books and other reading materials which connect learning with Aboriginal culture, children readily engage. Not only do reading skills improve dramatically, with the follow up support provided by the Deadly Science team, school attendance rates have improved by up to 25%.

Corey self-funded the first boxes of books, and recently the Deadly Science Team have obtained a grant, but more funding is urgently required to expand the initiative to locations not yet targeted.

Taking up the challenge, Sunrise Rotary members developed a project proposal titled Books of Change. Within two weeks, support was obtained from the Community Service Committee and approval given by the Club Board for the project to proceed. An application was then submitted through Rotary Australia World Community Service (RAWCS) for a $5,000 Rotary Australia Compassionate Grant (RACG) to support the project. The grant application was approved within two days!

We are looking to support 5 primary schools within the Kamilaroi Nation of NSW – Brewarrina, Walgett, Gulargambone, Collarenebri & Graves End.  These are located within the Rotary District 9650.