Rotary Readers program builds young minds one page at a time

The Rotary Club of Westbury is helping local children fall in love with reading, one 30 minute session at a time.

Rotary Readers began in Term 1, 2025 at Hagley Farm School and Westbury Primary School. The program began after a Rotary District literacy initiative in late 2024 led the club to work with both schools on a program to lift reading outcomes. Sessions run twice weekly at each school, Monday and Tuesday mornings at Hagley, and Wednesday and Thursday at Westbury, with Westbury’s Wednesday session held over lunchtime.

Around 16 volunteers from across the Meander Valley give up their time for the program, drawn from a mix of backgrounds. Some are retired, others work full time and use flexibility such as rostered days off to attend. The only real requirements are a love of reading and a Working with Vulnerable People card. Each volunteer typically reads with four to six children per session, spanning a range of year levels across the two schools.

Georgia Strickland, a longtime member of the Rotary Club of Westbury and former club president, says feedback from teachers has been overwhelmingly positive, citing strong attendance, improved literacy skills and growing reading confidence among students. Just as valued is the intergenerational connection the program fosters, giving children dedicated time with a trusted adult in their community who is there simply to encourage them.

Strickland says literacy underpins learning across every subject, and also builds confidence, independence and future opportunity. For many students, the value goes beyond the page. Volunteers often become mentors and positive role models, offering individual attention that helps nurture both reading skills and self belief.

The need for that kind of support is found in the data. In 2025, 56.6 per cent of Tasmanian Year 1 students met or exceeded the expected standard in the statewide Phonics Check, an improvement of 6.7 percentage points since 2023. It is encouraging progress, but Strickland notes it also points to how much work remains, with almost half of Tasmania’s adult population estimated to have literacy skills below the level needed for everyday work and life.

The club hopes to grow the program further, with plans to bring on more volunteers and expand the number of days spent at each school.

Strickland says community has always been important to her, and Rotary gives her the chance to make a tangible difference close to home. Outside of Rotary, she works at the City of Launceston, delivering community infrastructure projects, and also runs a small business producing baked goods. An avid reader since childhood, she says she loves seeing that passion passed on to the next generation.

For more information on Rotary Readers or to volunteer, contact the Rotary Club of Westbury.