High school students lead the way

High school can be a mysterious and daunting place for many young children. That’s why Duffy Books in Homes is working to bring high school students into almost 550 primary and intermediate schools to share their experiences of senior school life.
The Duffy Books in Homes School Leader assemblies allow schools to invite two senior high school students to speak about what to expect at high school, what they hope to achieve afterwards and how a love of books and reading can make all the difference to children’s futures.
Many of these senior students are past pupils of the schools they visit. This lets kids know that a future in high school is something to look forward to, no matter what their background.
Each Duffy school is given two books to present to the School Leaders after their assembly.
This year’s book is Temuera Morrison: From Haka to Hollywood by Paul Little.
Since the official launch in 1995 with 80 schools, 16,000 students and 14 sponsors, the Duffy Books in Homes programme has grown to encompass almost 550 schools, around 100,000 students and 190 sponsors in 2010. More than seven million books have been distributed to children in low-decile schools since the programme’s inception and 24th August will mark the 15th anniversary of its launch.