MultiLit, a leading provider of effective literacy instruction in Australasia, is proud to announce the appointment of Dr Anthony Dillon as Indigenous Advisor to the MultiLit Closing the Gap Initiative. In this role, Anthony will provide cultural advice related to working with Indigenous people across the more than 40 schools in the MultiLit Closing the Gap Initiative. Anthony will join the Closing the Gap Steering Committee and, in this capacity, provide leadership advice and guidance across the entire project.
Anthony is a researcher at the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education at Australian Catholic University in Sydney. He is an experienced and published researcher in Aboriginal education. As a researcher, commentator, and practising psychologist, he regularly provides guest lectures to psychology students at universities and other professional bodies on Aboriginal psychology.
Dr Anthony Dillon said, “Working with an organisation like MultiLit who work at the coalface will allow me to bring my skills as a researcher to where I believe they can have a large impact. There can be nothing more rewarding than playing a part in helping Aboriginal people unleash the enormous talent and potential they have. Thank you MultiLit.”
MultiLit Director of Strategy, Dr Jennifer Buckingham, said, “Dr Dillon has worked with and spent time in numerous Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities over many years. He brings both cultural knowledge as well as research and educational expertise to the Closing the Gap project.”
About the MultiLit Closing the Gap Initiative
In agreement with the Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE), MultiLit has identified a select number of majority Indigenous schools that MultiLit are partnering with under this initiative. The initiative is for a four-year period from 2022 to 2026 conducted in two phases. Phase One has 21 schools already committed to a partnership with MultiLit with up to another 24 schools to participate from 2023 under Phase 2. The majority of these schools are regional, remote and very remote schools located across Australia – currently NSW, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland.
The ultimate objective of the MultiLit Closing the Gap Initiative is to have all students in participating schools reading at a minimum level that is within the average range for their age and year cohort. Effectively, MultiLit aims to close the gap on the reading performance of Indigenous students compared to non-Indigenous students.
About MultiLit
MultiLit is a leading provider of effective literacy instruction in Australasia and our mission is to ensure all children learn to read. MultiLit originated as a research initiative of Macquarie University and was spun out as a private company in 2006. Our programs are uniquely placed to be effective because they are all grounded in scientific evidence-based best practice.
MultiLit’s publications, professional development and Literacy Centres are continually informed by an ongoing program of research. The research team is led by Emeritus Professor Kevin Wheldall AM. For more than 25 years, we have provided assistance to thousands of students in a variety of settings, including schools, our own Literacy Centres and community-based literacy projects across Australia, New Zealand and Asia. MultiLit has offices in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.