Korowa’s Read the World Challenge has been an extraordinary journey for students, staff, and the wider school community.

Drawing on research from Australia Reads, the program, organised and managed by Korowa’s Library staff, set out to ignite a passion for reading and help students broaden their literary horizons. Encouraging students to explore diverse cultures through literature, the Challenge has fostered a deeper understanding of the world around them.

The energy around the school has been palpable, with students gathering in the Library to mark their reading progress on the world map, proudly placing flags to represent the countries they’ve explored through books. According to James Kearney, Head of English, the response has been inspiring: “The best thing about the Read the World Challenge has been students embracing the opportunity to read books they might not have otherwise tried. It has been wonderful seeing them record their reading locations on the world map in the Library over the term.”

The beauty of the Challenge lies in its inclusivity. Whether students chose novels, graphic novels, audiobooks or picture books, every genre and format was equally valued. This approach allowed students of all reading abilities to participate, ensuring no one felt excluded. For some students who may have previously only read prescribed texts, discovering the joy of reading for pleasure was the challenge.

One of the program’s core goals was to encourage empathy and cross-cultural understanding. By reading works from authors around the world, students were exposed to different perspectives, life experiences, and traditions. Whenever a student remarked, “I didn’t know that,” or “I didn’t realise that,” the Library Team knew they had hit the mark.

Participation has been impressive, with 62% of students from Years 7 – 10 participating in the Challenge by Week 9. Even more encouraging is that many students who hadn’t initially joined the Challenge were still coming forward in the final weeks to contribute their reading accomplishments. This demonstrates the program’s ability to reach students who may have previously been disengaged from reading, proving that it’s never too late to develop a reading habit.

Teachers also joined in, sharing their own reading experiences with their classes. This sparked informal conversations around literature, allowing students to see their role models engaged in reading for pleasure. The collaboration between the Library and English Department has been a highlight, further cementing a culture of reading at Korowa.

The lasting impact of the Read the World Challenge goes beyond the term. As students have reflected on the books they’ve read, they’ve also reflected on the cultures and contexts that shaped these stories. By connecting the dots between Geography and literature, they’ve gained a richer understanding of how the world’s diverse narratives come to life.

As the Challenge draws to a close, the excitement around reading shows no signs of slowing down. Students continue to share book recommendations, swap stories and celebrate the satisfaction of seeing their passports filled with stamps from around the globe. The program has cultivated a love for reading and broadened horizons, one page at a time.