Geelong Grammar School (GGS) and The Wheeler Centre (TWC) have announced a new partnership that will enrich the literary and cultural experience of Year 7 and 8 students. Launching from Term 1 in 2027, the pilot programme will blend classroom-based learning with immersive experiences led by authors, editors and journalists at The Wheeler Centre and take the students on interactive tours throughout Melbourne’s CBD, State Library Victoria and Immigration Museum.
Designed for a pivotal stage in students’ education, the program will build skills in reading, research, writing and critical enquiry, encouraging them to think deeply, communicate clearly and engage confidently with a complex world. In 2008, Melbourne was the second city in the world to be recognised as a UNESCO City of Literature, making it an ideal backdrop for this programme.
Geelong Grammar School Principal, Rebecca Cody, said the programme will strengthen students’ literacy while developing a richer understanding of themselves, others and the wider world. “I’ve often said that fiction can illuminate something profound about humanity’s purpose,” Rebecca said. “Yet stories take many forms. Through literature, journalism, research and observation, students learn not only to understand the experiences of others, but also to find their own voice. This partnership with The Wheeler Centre invites young people into that process of discovery at a formative stage of their education.”
The Wheeler Centre is Australia’s only dedicated hub for books, writing and ideas. The Centre played a key role in Melbourne being recognised as the City of Literature in 2008 and opened to the public in 2010 with the support of founding patrons Maureen and Tony Wheeler. In addition to presenting a year-round programme of events in Melbourne’s CBD, regional Victoria and online, it encourages the next generation of Australian writers through initiatives such as the Hot Desk Fellowships and The Next Chapter. It also presents the Victorian Premier’s Literary Awards on behalf of the Victorian Government.
The Wheeler Centre’s CEO Erin Vincent said: “We are so thrilled to be partnering with Geelong Grammar School on this pilot programme. Finding new ways to encourage a love of reading in young people is central to what we do, and this programme will bring students into the heart of Melbourne’s literary precinct at a formative time, when their curiosity, confidence and ability to think critically is growing. We’re proud to share this commitment to the next generation of readers and writers with Geelong Grammar School and we look forward to welcoming these students to The Wheeler Centre.”
The pilot programme will be a feature of the re-introduction of Years 7 and 8 at Geelong Grammar School’s Toorak Campus, which re-imagines learning in the Middle Years by connecting the classroom with meaningful real-world experiences through partnerships with institutions like The Wheeler Centre. It builds on Geelong Grammar School’s education partnership with the Melbourne Writers Festival (MWF) and is designed to enhance literacy across subject areas while fostering curiosity, creativity and self-expression.
