After 10 years of leadership, we say a fond farewell to 100 Story Building co-founder and CEO Lachlann Carter as he embarks on an exciting new adventure. Join Lach as he reminisces on the tale so far, and share in the memories of a decade of writing and creativity – through a story, of course!

99 more levels of adventure, mystery and giant kittens are waiting for your class. Because 100 Story Building – the home of creative story making and discovery for Victorian students – is re-opening its Footscray centre in Term 3! 

Rainbow light streams in from a sunny window; colours are cast on a large white table that stretches out in the middle of the room, chairs lining its sides. A magic wand hangs in a glass case from the ceiling, a relic from a distant land. The walls are painted in pastels; a door stands locked in the corner, with feathers peeking out from its edges. You might think this is some conference room of a fairy-tale land, but it is one of our first-ever Story Hubs.

Many of us have memories of ‘creatively borrowing’ ideas from our favourite books, television shows, movies or comics. Many of us also have feelings of shame around our copying being exposed - by a teacher, a parent, or a peer. Copying gets a bad rap (sometimes for a good reason...we’re definitely not saying you should copy something and pretend it’s your own original work)!

Everyone at 100 Story Building is thrilled to announce that we are a recipient of a West Gate Neighbourhood Fund Partnerships project to redevelop our space in Footscray's Nicholson St Mall.

Getting students excited about writing is a challenge faced by many of the teachers we work with at 100 Story Building. When teachers bring their students to one of our school workshops, many comment on how students who are normally ‘reluctant writers’ are suddenly motivated and excited to write. The central strategy we use to support young writers in our workshops is to encourage student agency.

When we run Professional Learning workshops, we focus on developing teachers’ confidence in embracing student agency, and allowing children as much choice as possible over their creative learning. Central to building student agency into the design of workshops (and lesson plans) is offering opportunities for them to share their ideas about what they would like to write, and how.

In short? You get 10 brilliant books in 10 years.

Every year, through our Early Harvest program, 100 Story Building publishes a book written and edited entirely by children. To celebrate the tenth year (and tenth book) of the program, we are breaking down the techniques we use that makes this program so successful.

We realised the other day that it’s been a while since we did an audit of the levels beneath the trapdoor of our very tall (or very deep?) building. So, we went down to Reception on Level 99, and we found four new staff members sitting in the waiting room!

“On behalf of the Board of 100 Story Building,  I am proud to announce the start of our quest for a new CEO,” said Board Chair Sandeep Varma.  

We teamed up with Story Factory, Storyboard, and the Story Island Project to create an anthology from 83 young writers around Australia. The result? “A User’s Guide to a Pandemic”

In recognition of the fact that First Nations people have occupied and cared for this land for more than 65,000 years, we’re celebrating NAIDOC Week!

We went on a choose-your-own-adventure across the Bass Strait with Warrane Primary School, based in Tasmania!

We hopped into our rocket and blasted off to the 100 Story Galaxy in search of new planets! Our co-pilot astronauts were grade 3/4 students from Preston North East Primary.

Banksia Gardens Community Services wanted to bring life and energy to their 2020 AGM, so 100 Story Building stepped in.

A new 100 Story Vending Machine has made its way to the De La Salle College! Students can visit the Library and use 100 Story Coins (or a shinny dollar) to buy zines made by their classmates.

A choose-your-own-adventure story by young writer Emily (9 years old)!

To accompany our most fantastic book title ‘Unboring Exploring’, the next step in the editorial process was to decide how to translate the graphic aesthetic of ‘adventure’ throughout our book!

Recently the team at the Royal Botanic Gardens invited 100 Story Building to host two Professional Learning sessions focused on helping them transition to creating engaging workshop experiences online.

Over the school holidays the young editors met for an important mission: to finalise the list of stories and poems to include in the next edition of Early Harvest for the theme Adventure!