SCHOLASTIC BLOG
Celebrating Our Amazing Volunteers this National Volunteer Week!
As we celebrate National Volunteer Week 2025 in Australia, we want to take a moment to express our immense gratitude to the incredible volunteers who play such a vital role in our mission. Scholastic believes that all children should have regular access to quality, affordable books that they have chosen for themselves. These selfless individuals help achieve our goal by encouraging lifelong reading habits within their school community, either by distributing Book Club catalogues and handing out book orders, or by organising a Book Fair in their school.
Their dedication, hard work, and generosity are the backbone of our success, and we couldn't be more thankful for their unwavering support. Thanks to their help, children from bustling cities to remote towns receive the opportunity to explore the world through books.
Scholastic is so lucky to have 16,000 Book Club and Book Fairs volunteers who champion reading in almost 10,000 schools nationwide. Last year alone, our volunteers delivered over 2.7 million books into the hands of school students. It’s a huge feat, and one we are so grateful for.
Every volunteer who distributes Book Club catalogues, organises a Book Fair, or delivers book orders does so with a sense of passion and purpose. For many kids, these books represent much more than a story; they are windows into new worlds, sparks of imagination, and crucial tools for learning and development. Our Book Club and Book Fairs volunteers are instrumental in making sure that every child, regardless of location, can experience this gift. These impressive people bring the joy of reading to every corner of Australia.
We'd like to take this opportunity to shine a spotlight on just a few of our hard-working volunteers and showcase exactly how they help Scholastic reach children and inspire a lifelong love of reading.
Lara Purdie, Rochedale State School, Queensland
Lara has been volunteering as a Fairs and Club organiser for Rochedale State School for the past 10 years! As an engaged parent within the school, Lara runs ALL eight Issues of Book Club each year, handing out catalogues and distributing book orders as soon as they arrive. She helps advertise Book Club dates and deadlines within the School Newsletter to help staff navigate questions from families and students. A part-time working mother of 3, Lara believes in the power of books and reading and selflessly devotes her time to ensuring her school community has access to Scholastic's wide range of children's literature. Over the years, Lara has organised a devoted team of helpers and is grateful for their participation.
Carol Bartlett, Sacred Heart Mona Vale, New South Wales
Carol has been a loyal administrative staff member of Sacred Heart for the past 33 years. Her colleagues can't remember a time without Carol, or without her distributing Book Club to their students. Scholastic is so fortunate to have a volunteer as dedicated as Carol, who has been committed to engaging students in her school community for over three decades. Thank you, Carol!
Sue Bulasch, Driver Primary School, Northern Territory
A dedicated librarian at Driver Primary, Sue has organised two Book Fairs every year for ten years! Going above and beyond for her students, she creates a different theme for each fair, turning her library into a pirate ship one year and an enchanted forest the next! Sue ensures that her school has access to the classroom and library resources they need, especially before Naplan and other key education events throughout the school year. Sue’s dedication and passion is to be admired!
Konrad Hense, Thornton Public School, New South Wales
Konrad walks the walk of promoting a lifelong love of reading. Since taking on the role of Teacher Librarian at Thornton Public School two years ago, he has expanded to two book fairs a year and offers ALL eight Issues of Book Club to his school community each year. Konrad's enthusiasm and passion for reading and promoting it in his school excites families and children to read more. Konrad always informs his parents about the benefits of Book Club, not only for the school but also for the individual child. The rich reading culture is evident in the growth of Scholastic Fairs and Clubs within his school.
Written by: Kimberly Cullinan, May 2025