From Teacher to Trailblazer

When Aprile Denise left her home country of New Zealand over four decades ago, drawn by the opportunity of teaching at JIS Pattimura Elementary (PEL), little did she know that she would spark a literacy movement that would spread across the Indonesian archipelago. 

Throughout her journey, she would improve the education of over 1 million children and empower nearly 56,000 local educators through her non-profit initiative, Yayasan Literasi Anak Indonesia (YLAI).

Her 18-year tenure at JIS saw Aprile take on a host of roles and responsibilities, from teacher to elementary grade-level coordinator for social studies, to literacy specialist collaborating with other educators, and the proud parent of three graduating Dragons. 

"It was an incredible, enriching experience; an experience for professional development for me," Aprile reflects on her time. “I was given so many opportunities to grow and explore all the different aspects of my profession. And being in a school with that level of professionalism was really exciting.”

Her experience and expertise, combined with a driving passion for education, led to a deeper involvement in literacy development not long after she became the principal of a national-plus bilingual school in Bali. It was there that she became aware of the stark disparity in literacy education between the international-based and national curricula. 

“They were basically using the old textbook approach to teach literacy, while in the international section, which I was helping with as well, the children were learning in English and being exposed to wonderful resources coming from all over the world,” she recalls.

Feeling compelled to take action, she and her team started to look into ways they could create a program and resources themselves. After securing the final batch of funding, JIS’s closing Foundation for Education Excellence (FEE) was looking to distribute, they were able to develop a series of books comprising 75 titles designed specifically to nurture the reading skills of Indonesian children in grades 1 to 3. 

“We were creating developmental continuums, looking at the Indonesian language and how it progressed, looking at how we should work with writers and illustrators to create these books and develop a structured reading program.”

This was the start of YLAI's impactful work, and it has only flourished since its establishment in 2014. The yayasan (non-profit organization) now runs three effective programs across 13 provinces, stretching from the archipelago’s easternmost Aceh to West Papua and Papua in the remote west. Its Guided Reading Program develops graded reading kits and resources for teachers to use in classroom activities. With the support of USAID-Prioritas, it successfully distributed these kids to 13,000 elementary schools in 2015 alone.

A following partnership with the international foundation Room to Read, the program produced a series of 22 illustrated children’s books donated to libraries across the country. What’s especially remarkable about YLAI’s books is that they are culturally relevant to Indonesian children and, therefore, resonate with their daily experiences. UNICEF has even reached out to commission a special set of 48 leveled-reading titles with stories and characters centered around Papua.

So, instead of reading about Anna and Elsa’s snow-filled adventure, students would follow Kartika’s first experience wearing a kebaya (traditional blouse) for a grand wedding, or root for Raka as he practices pencak silat (a form of martial arts) and takes up surfing like his big brother. What’s more, all of YLAI’s books are available on Literacycloud.org, making them a valuable resource during the pandemic-induced shift to online learning.

“A lot of books that were available back then were translations from fairy tales; Disney-style that were coming translated into Asia. Or they were folk tales that were way above the heads of [young] children and way too scary,” Aprile explains. “Now, [we provide] books that are really engaging, and the students really get involved in them; they connect with them.”

YLAI’s collaboration with Room to Read also became a springboard for its Child-Friendly Library program of building or restoring school libraries. Their efforts have, so far, given students in 10 cities/regencies access to more than 200 inviting new libraries filled with shelves of books and cozy reading areas. Over 30 more are in development for a 2024-2026 opening. 

Of course, at the core of literacy development are the teachers who tirelessly work to drive it forward for their students. YLAI’s Balanced Reading program is dedicated to providing professional development in teaching reading and writing skills, tapping into innovative methodologies proven to be effective through research and implementation in schools around the world.

“We were helping them understand how to engage with the children, to help them think about the stories [they are reading],” Aprile says, adding that the participating teachers got to explore “a whole different way of teaching that is more stimulating and exciting.”

With support from various partner foundations, the program has reached over 200 elementary schools across East Java, Bali, East Nusa Tenggara, and Papua. 

Looking ahead, Aprile remains committed to YLAI's mission of enhancing literacy education in Indonesia. The organization is exploring new avenues, including digital initiatives, building more libraries, and expanding its catalog to include non-fiction books.

“We want our books and programs to be more accessible across all of Indonesia. So, it’s really about continuing on our path and making sure that [the movement] takes root. But we do need support,” she says.

As a non-profit, YLAI is fully dependent on the support of its partner organizations and donations to “reach as many children as possible” with its programs. Donations, especially, are greatly appreciated as they can go to supporting one school, a group of schools in a district with a child-friendly library, or packages of books.

“Your contribution brings us closer to our goal.”

You can donate here and visit Yayasan Literasi Anak Indonesia's social media channels for a better look into its endeavors: Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.