Presented by Pooja Mathur
The multicultural nature of Australian society is prominently reflected in our diverse student demographic. Inclusion of contemporary Australian multicultural fiction titles penned by authors from diverse cultural backgrounds in the school library collection assists in promoting empathy, acceptance and understanding. Students from diverse backgrounds find themselves and their lives reflected in these stories and often identify as the protagonist, playing the lead role, instead of a minor character. Representation matters!!
The spotlight will be on migrant and refugee stories - a brief foray into the emergence of home-grown authors giving voice to their own experiences including what motivated them, and what they aim to achieve. A carefully curated list of relevant contemporary titles will be discussed and, to sweeten up the deal, their connection to NESA (NSW Education Standards Authority) and Australian Curriculum’s General Capabilities will be highlighted. These titles should be accessible to all Australian students and educators, and that is Teacher Librarian territory. Inclusion of these titles in the library collection should be backed by their collection development policy, and actively promoted via book displays, book/reading clubs, wide reading lessons and, if possible, embedding them within curricular areas.
A wide range of research papers, links to further practical resources, and relevant websites, will be discussed and shared with the attendees. The session will touch upon Australian Indigenous Young Adult titles as well.
Finally, the attendees will be invited to share their experiences and tactics for the promotion of Multicultural YA literature in their school libraries to create a bank of ideas for further contemplation. The meet-up will conclude with a brief Q & A session. Recording of the session, along with the presentation will be made available to all attendees.
About Pooja
Pooja Mathur is a Teacher Librarian, Reading Club Coordinator and member of the Well-being team at The King's School in Sydney. She is an active member of the Management Committee of the School Library Association of NSW and holds a position on the Publications and Promotions Sub-Committee. Pooja is passionate about promoting reading for pleasure amongst students, staff and wider school community.
About SLANSW Online Meet-Ups
The meet-ups are currently not accredited by NESA, but qualify as Teacher Identified Professional Development (TIPD). The one-hour meet-ups will take place in SLANSW's Zoom conference room and comprise:
- 30-minute presentation
- 15-minute Q&A with the presenter/s
- 15-minute facilitated discussion between attendees.
A maximum of 100 places are available for each meet-up, so get your registrations in ASAP.
Participation in SLANSW online meet-ups is at no cost to members. Non-members may access the meet-ups for $35 per session.
The one-hour meet-up takes place in SLANSW's Zoom conference room.
Those who register for this event will receive an email within 24 hours before the event, with details to access this online session.