My Life Story
from the drought and fires with city students.
A joint initiative by children’s charity Royal Far West and Littlescribe.
My Life Story, connects and enables country and city students to write, illustrate and publish their very own book, giving them a powerful voice to share and learn from their own life experiences.
8,000 students and over 60+ schools are on board for 2020.
Why Your Support Matters
Why Now? There has never been a more important time to help kids under pressure from the drought and recent fires to connect and heal through writing.
Building literacy skills creates a reservoir of capability and helps students under pressure better navigate ways to communicate their needs, feelings and hopes, and opens up more choices.
Connection Matters. The program provides a real audience for every student as they share their unheard stories.
Creating a Legacy. In the form of a digital library, 10,000 original stories of inspiration, capability and resilience by students to read, share and learn from.
Literacy Skills. The program over a year is deeply embedded in the school curriculum. Pride and purpose driving literacy progress as each child turns the pages of their own 12-page published book.
Your support means more country children can participate and RFW can support, connect and provide more students and their families with specialised wrap around support in the immediate and long term.
Schools Join Us Now or for 2021!
All country and city schools across Australia are invited to join now and for 2021. Our vision for 2020 is for 10,000 students from all schools, public and private to join in and share with Australia the grit, humour and wisdom of their stories. It is an opportunity for our students to be heard.
At the heart of the program school communities affected by the drought and recent fires, facing hardship will be gifted the program. City schools and organisations are chipping in by gifting the program to country students.
Author Andrew Daddo has jumped on board. He says “we know these kids have a lot to share and teach us about grit, humour and pride. It is a chance to show they are supported and to unlock and share their original story.” Each student will also become a co-author with Andrew as part of the program.
Educational Resources. For Teachers a suite of resources including a comprehensive writing program, author videos, story starters and 10 lesson plans. Each program for Kindy to year 7, connects the curriculum and references quality text. You can download a sample program here.
How do schools get involved? City and country schools register below for 2020 and or 2021 and we will be in touch.
Sample of Educational Resources
Wow! We are excited to announce Andrew Daddo and James Foley are onboard to co-author with every student!
Educational Resources. For Teachers, we’ve created a suite of resources. This includes comprehensive writing programs, author videos, story starters and 10 lesson plans. Each program for Kindy to year 7, connects the curriculum and references quality text. You can download a sample program here.
What’s included? Each students receives a 12-page digital and printed copy of their story. Books will be swapped and shared amongst schools as part of the celebration.
Charlie's 'My Life Story' from last year's pilot.
Schools already connecting as part of My Life Story
Nowendoc PS
40 Students
Nowendoc Public School is a small, isolated school, catering for those who live within the small village and surrounding properties.
Savernake PS
4 Students
Faith and friendship! Savernake Public School is located in the southern area of the Riverina. They offer a unique rural education with strong parental support
Wyangala Dam PS
4 Students
Knowledge is Power! Stay Connected! Wyangala lives by these sayings. It is a caring environment that encourages successful learning and offers learning opportunities not available in large schools.
Croppa Creek PS
11 Students
Play the Game! Croppa Creek Public School is located 65 km northeast of Moree. The school consistently strives to provide a rich education for all children.
Greenethorpe PS
14 Students
Courtesy. Loyalty. Courage. The words that connect and inspire this community in the Central West, NSW. Watch out for the upcoming school event Rock till it Rains!
Cromer PS
187 Students
Wisdom and Courage! Underpins Cromers proud tradition of promoting excellence. They have the wisdom to value the traditions of the past and the courage to explore new ways of learning, teaching and leading to improve school life.
Gordon East PS
100 Students
The motto of Gordon East Public School is 'courtesy and cooperation'. It is a thriving and dynamic school, a centre of growth and learning, set in two hectares of a quiet, leafy residential area.
Harbord PS
140 Students
Harbord Public School is situated in the Northern Beaches of Sydney. With a student population of over 1100, the school's core values are respect, responsibility and personal best.
International GS
78 Students
Situated within moments of Sydney's CBD, International Grammar School is a unique independent, co-educational, secular school offering quality teaching for early learning, primary and high school students.
Lane Cove West PS
171 Students
Lane Cove West Public School provides the "intimacy" of a small school where students and parents work together towards a common goal - "providing high quality education in a safe, caring learning environment".
Talbingo PS
8 Students
Talbingo students thank the firies for saving their school. The community is now focused on rebuilding the businesses and farms hit hard by the fires now they are under control.
Gwabegar PS
12 Students
A small school with a big heart! NE NSW population of 344. The town is in the middle of the largest naturally forming cypress pine forest in the Southern Hemisphere, the Pilliga forest.
Woodstock PS
14 Students
A terrific small school! Situated 25km from Cowra, a tight knit farming community impacted by the drought that embraces every opportunity available.
Spring Hill PS
39 Students
Play the Game! Spring Hill is a small village just 10 minutes from Orange in Central West NSW. It has a beautiful historical walk and your encouraged to visit!
Cumnock PS
47 Students
A small country town, known for its rural farming community, love of sports. It started the 'rent a house' for a $1.00 campaign to help attract people to the proud town.
Mullion Creek PS
58 Students
The school started in 1881! Mullion Creek is an important site which has changed the course of history in Australia in the 19th century.
Trangie CS
90 Students
Trangie is a K to 12 school in a rural farming community where times have been tough with no crops for 3+ years. Students are continuing to show their grit, resilience and humour daily at school and home.
Borenore PS
39 Students
Wisdom through knowledge! Drought, fire and snow! The Aboriginal name of the area "Bora-Nora". Borenore is home to the Australian National Field Days.
Raleigh PS
25 Students
Raleigh Believes in Me! It is a small school with a supportive family atmosphere. A small town in the Mid North Coast region NSW, the school is located opposite a Norco dairy factory, 100% Australian owned!
Warren CS
100 Students
Warren CS takes pride in delivering an excellent education in a warm & nurturing environment. They have a strong commitment to literacy, numeracy & technology.
Trundle CS
51 Students
Truth and Honour! Smiling through the dry: Drought-hit schools work hard to keep students happy, as shared on ABC news.
Manildra PS
65 Students
Manildra Public School is a small school in the heart of rural NSW. On the banks of the Mandagery Creek is Manildra a small village of just 500+ people.
Ulmarra PS
67 Students
Ulmarra School is a small rural school in a historic port town on the Clarence River. It is generally accepted that 'ulmarra' is a local Aboriginal word meaning "bend in the river."
Cudal PS
68 Students
A beautiful farming area with wool, fat lambs, cattle, wheat and canola as its main produce. In recent times added to these is viticulture and wine making.
Cobargo PS
70 Students
Strive to Achieve! The day before school commenced Cobargo teachers where online to walk through the program so their students could start writing.
A list of all of the schools involved: Cromer Public School, Gordon East Public School, Harbord Public School, International Grammar School, Lane Cove West Public School, Oatley Public School, Pymble Ladies College, Kamaroi Rudolf Steiner School, Middle Harbour Public School, Killarney Heights Public School, Barker College, Abbotsleigh Senior School, Darkinjung Barker College, Barooga Public School, Borenore Public School, Bourke Public School, Brewarrina Central School, Broken Hill Public School, Clergate Public School, Cobargo Public School, Croppa Creek Public School, Cudal Public School, Cumnock Public School, Dungowan Public School, Forbes North Public School, Forbes Public School, Greenethorpe Public School, Gunnedah Public School, Gwabegar Public School, Lyndhurst Public School, Manildra Public School, Molong Central School, Mullion Creek Public School, Narromine Public School, Nowendoc Public School, Parkes Public School, Raleigh Public School, Savernake Public School, Spring Hill Public School, St Francis Xavier School, St Joseph’s Primary School, Talbingo Public School, Trangie Central School, Trundle Central School, Ulmarra Public School, Warren Central School, Wentworth Public School, West Wyalong Public School, Willow Tree Public School, Woodstock Public School, Wyangala Dam Public, Yass Public School, Yeoval Central School, Bellata Public School, Mulwala Public School, Railway Town Public School.
A Royal Far West and Littlescribe initiative
Children’s charity Royal Far West in partnership with Littlescribe, an educational writing platform, are supporting country schools and students under pressure with the drought by connecting and sharing their life stories with kids in the city.
One in three young children in rural and remote Australia have significant developmental health issues which impacts their ability to understand, communicate and participate in school. Based in the city and dedicated to the health and wellbeing of country kids, Royal Far West is perfectly placed to bridge the growing divide between city and country children.
Only when a child’s health and developmental needs are met can their learning potential be unlocked, giving them the best chance in life.
We believe every child has the right to write and be heard. We are committed to providing a platform that connects and empowers students from all walks of life and across the country.
We love seeing the pride on a child’s face when they turn the pages of their own book and call themselves an author.